Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
All Curl out of Shotgun Normal Flex Snug is a four man curl concept built to sit down in the soft spots of zone coverage. The diagram shows both outside receivers pushing vertical then breaking down into curls around 10 to 12 yards, while the inside slot and TE run shorter curls that settle underneath at the sticks, creating a natural high low read on each side of the field. This is a Cover 3 beater by design, since the four curl routes flood the zone drops on each side and force linebackers or flat defenders to choose which level to take away, leaving the other open. Primary read progression starts with the outside curl on your favored side, and if the flat defender sinks with the deep curl, work down to the underneath curl for the easy completion.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flat defender on the side you plan to throw, since a slow or lazy drop into the flat opens the outside curl for an easy completion at the sticks. Read the underneath linebacker depth post snap, if he sinks too deep chasing the curl breakpoint, the shorter inside curl becomes wide open for the checkdown. This concept struggles against Cover 4 or Cover 2 with aggressive corner jams, since the extra deep defender or physical press can disrupt the curl timing before receivers settle. Be wary of a user controlled defender sitting in a lurk position at the intermediate level, since a smart user can jump the curl route and bait a pick six if the quarterback stares down one side. Man coverage with no help over the top also gives defenders a chance to undercut the curl break, so check for man leverage cues like corners turning their hips early before committing to this play.
Usage Tips
Pre snap, look for two deep safeties splitting the field or a single high safety showing Cover 3, since this play thrives against zone drops that create soft spots between levels.
If the corner presses hard at the line, hot route the outside curl into a slant or speed out to avoid getting your receiver rerouted before the break.
This play is money on third and medium to third and long, since all four curls settle at or past the sticks and give you a built in progression against zone drops.
Pair this with Whips Curls or PA Whips Curls in your play calling sequence so the defense has to respect both a static curl read and a curl paired with a whip motion, keeping linebackers guessing on drop depth.
Use HB Draw or RPO Gt Read Screen earlier in a series to bait linebackers into sitting shallow, then come back to All Curl once they start cheating up on quick game.
