Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Bench out of Shotgun Flanker Close is a two-man route combo to each side designed to attack the sideline at multiple levels. To the boundary, the outside receiver runs a deep corner route while the inside slot receiver runs a quick out to the flat, creating a high-low stretch on the corner defender. To the field side, the outside receiver runs a deep go up the sideline while the inside receiver runs a bench route (out and up) to occupy the flat defender and create separation underneath. This is a man beater against man coverage since the flat routes create natural picks and rubs against trailing defenders, while the vertical routes stress the deep defenders on both sides.
Defensive Reads
Read the corner route side first: if the deep defender sinks with the corner route, the underneath out or bench route should be open in the flat. Watch for a lurking linebacker sitting on the drag or curl zone, since a user-controlled backer can jump the bench route or the out route if you telegraph the throw. Cover 3 with a hard-charging strong safety can bracket the corner routes and force you to check down to the shorter flat routes underneath. Zone coverage with sunk cornerbacks will squeeze the outside vertical routes but leave the flat routes open, so progress from outside in. Against man coverage without safety help, the go route on the field side against a slower corner is the home run shot if you see single high safety alignment.
Usage Tips
Use this play on second and long or third and medium when you need to stretch the field horizontally and vertically at the same time.
Check the safety alignment before the snap: if you see two high safeties, target the field side bench route since the flat defender will have to respect the corner route eating up his vertical zone.
Against man coverage, hot route the backside flat receiver to a shallow drag if the linebacker is sitting too tight underneath, since he can rub off the corner route runner.
Pair this with Stick or Mesh Spot from the same set to keep defenses off balance, since both plays start with similar receiver alignment but attack the middle instead of the sideline.
If the defense shows blitz, get the ball out quickly to the flat route on either side since the deep corner and go routes take too long to develop against pressure.
