Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Stick N Nod is a five-man route empty concept out of Shotgun Empty Trey Stack that stresses both flats and the deep middle with a nod look from the inside stack. The two outside receivers on each side run vertical clear-outs to occupy corners and safeties, while the stack on the right runs the stick combo with one man breaking to the flat and the other nodding inside before working back to the sticks. The lone inline receiver in the middle pushes a deep crosser upfield from left to right, giving you a built in man beater against inside leverage and a zone beater versus curl flat corners. Primary read starts with the stick flat combo on the right, then works to the deep crosser if the underneath defenders squat.
Defensive Reads
Presnap check corner depth on both outside receivers, off coverage corners signal zone drops that make the stick flat combo the easy answer. Watch the flat defender on the stick side, if he widens too fast to the flat the nod route sits down right behind him for an easy completion. Key the middle linebacker or nickel defender responsible for the deep crosser, if he sinks too early it opens a big throwing lane behind him. Against man coverage look for a safety or linebacker trailing the crosser through traffic, a clean release means the ball should come out immediately before the rub develops fully. Blitz heavy fronts with single high safety are risky for the defense here since the vertical clear routes can turn into one on one shots if the deep help rotates late.
Usage Tips
Presnap identify if the defense is showing two high shells since the vertical clear routes on both boundaries will hold safeties and open up the stick side underneath.
Use the stick flat combo as your rhythm throw versus zone coverage, especially cover 3 and cover 4 where the flat defender has to choose between the nod route and the flat route.
Against man coverage look immediately to the deep crosser since it creates natural rub traffic through the formation and generates separation versus linebackers or safeties in man match.
This play works best on third and medium to third and long when you need a high percentage stick concept combined with a home run shot on the crosser.
Pair this with Y Stick or Double Stick from the same set to keep the defense guessing on stick reads before hitting them with the extra vertical shot from Stick N Nod.
