Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
WR Corner out of Shotgun Split Close (20 personnel) sends the outside receiver on a deep corner route (red) while the slot runs a vertical seam that breaks outside underneath it, creating a natural high low stretch on the boundary corner and safety. The backside receiver runs a deep out and the flanker on that side works an out and up (skinny post to corner) for a two level read away from the flood. This is a man beater versus Cover 1 or Cover 3 because the corner route stems away from trail technique, and the seam clears the middle for a window throw if the safety bites on the underneath route. Primary progression is corner route first, then the breaking seam underneath if the safety rotates over the top, with the backside out as a checkdown versus pressure.
Defensive Reads
Check the corner pre-snap for outside leverage since press man alignment tips a jam technique that the corner route can beat with a hard release. Watch the deep safety alignment, a single high safety cheating toward the boundary signals Cover 3 rotation which opens the seam underneath the corner route. Post-snap, key the flow of the underneath linebacker, if he sinks into the seam window the quarterback should already be climbing the pocket to buy time for the corner to clear. User controlled safeties who bail hard to the corner side leave the intermediate seam wide open, so this play punishes aggressive safety users. Versus Cover 2, the corner route runs into the deep half defender, so this concept is much weaker against two high shells with a true flat and deep half split.
Usage Tips
Attack Cover 3 and Cover 1 shells since the deep corner naturally leverages the boundary defender out of his zone drop or man mirror.
Use motion or a hot route on the backside out to convert it into a quicker breaking route if you diagnose zone coverage pre-snap.
Best called on 2nd and long or 3rd and medium to long when the defense expects a conservative zone drop rather than aggressive man coverage.
Pair this with Close Corner or Mtn Y-Flood from the same set to keep the defense guessing between single high shells and two high shots.
If the user drops a linebacker into the passing lane to jump the seam, look immediately to the corner route since that throwing lane stays clean.
Snap the ball with rhythm timing since the corner route takes time to develop, so protect with a hot route to the running back if the defense shows five plus rushers.
