Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Curl Flat Salem out of Empty Trey Stack sends the trips side into a curl flat combo with the outside receiver sitting down on a curl route while the flat runs underneath, and the tight end runs a vertical seam that can settle depending on the leverage of the defender covering him. On the backside, the isolated receiver runs an in and out combo, breaking outside first before working back across the field. Since this is Empty personnel there is no running back protection, so all five receivers are in routes and the quarterback must throw with anticipation. The primary read starts with the curl flat combo to the trips side, working from the flat defender to the curl sitter, then progresses to the backside single receiver if the coverage rotates hard to the trips side.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing two deep safeties or one high, since Cover 2 shells are more vulnerable to the curl sitting behind the underneath defenders. Key the flat defender at the snap, if he sinks with the tight end's seam or widens late, that tells you if the flat is a live throwing lane. Watch for user linebackers dropping into the curl window, a lurking linebacker sitting in that zone can bait the quarterback into a turnover on the curl route. Man coverage on the backside receiver is a green light for the in and out combo, since the double move creates separation against tight man technique. Cover 3 with an overloaded blitz to the trips side can disrupt this play by forcing a quick decision before the curl route fully develops, so watch for pressure off the edge or a nano blitz look before the snap.
Usage Tips
Look for the flat defender pre-snap to determine if he is a linebacker or a corner sinking into the zone, since that dictates whether the flat route or the curl route will be open first.
Against Cover 2, throw the curl route into the window behind the corner and in front of the safety before the flat defender can jump the route.
Against Cover 3, the flat route is usually the quickest access throw since the cornerback is bailing deep, so get that ball out fast on third and short.
Use the backside in and out route as a hot read against man coverage or when the defense rotates a safety over the trips side, since it creates natural separation on the break.
Pair this play with Y Stick or Double Stick from the same set to keep the defense guessing between quick curl flat concepts and stick concepts that attack the same underneath zones differently.
