Playbooks
689 Hook out of Shotgun Split Cowboy (11 personnel) is a route concept built around three hook or curl breakpoints stacked at different depths to attack zone coverage while giving you layered sit routes against man. The number naming (6, 8, 9) reflects the route depths on the outside receivers and slot, with the concept designed to settle in the soft spots of Cover 3 and Cover 4 zone drops. Primary read progression starts with the deepest hook to the play side, then works down to the intermediate hook, and finally checks down to the shortest hook or flat option if the underneath zones are clogged.
Pre-snap, identify single-high safety looks since Cover 3 and Cover 1 leave the intermediate hook zones vulnerable to good ball placement between levels. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they sink hard into the hook zones immediately, the quarterback should expect the underneath completion to be contested and look to layer throws behind them instead. User-controlled lurk defenders sitting in the middle of the field are the biggest threat to this concept, so scan for a rat in the hole before throwing the intermediate hook. Cover 2 shells with physical corners at the line can disrupt the timing of the shortest hook route, so be ready to hot route into a quicker breaking pattern if you see hard press alignment. Cover 4 quarters coverage with disciplined safeties reading run/pass keys can bracket the deep hook, so prioritize the shallow and intermediate options against that shell instead of forcing the deep window.
Pre-snap, check for two-high versus one-high safety alignment since this concept thrives against single-high zone shells like Cover 3 where the hook defenders have to cover too much horizontal ground.
Use your hot routes to convert the shortest hook into a quick out or flat route if you diagnose Cover 2 with hard corners jumping the shallow stuff.
This play pairs well with Flat Combo or Shallow Cross in your play-calling sequence because it forces linebackers to respect the hook zones after they bite on shallow crossers, opening up the intermediate window.
On third and medium, this is a strong call because the layered hooks give the quarterback a built in sit-down answer versus both zone and man if the primary window is late developing.
Against man coverage, look to sit the receiver in the shallowest hook right in the face of an underneath defender to draw a pick or rub, then work to the deep hook if the corner trails.