Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
WR Corner out of Shotgun Split Flanker Close is a three level route concept built to attack the boundary and hi lo a corner or safety. The outside receiver runs the corner route breaking hard to the sideline while the inside slot runs a vertical seam up the numbers, and the closed side tight end runs a flat/out route underneath to hold the linebacker. The HB stays in to check release on the blue assignment before working an outlet route to the opposite flat, giving the QB a built in checkdown against pressure. Primary read progression starts with the corner route on a one on one matchup, works to the seam if the safety jumps the corner, and dumps to the HB flat route as the last resort.
Defensive Reads
Pre snap, identify if the corner is playing outside leverage with safety help over the top, this alignment signals Cover 2 or Cover 4 and makes the corner route tougher to complete. Watch the deep safety at the snap, if he rotates hard to the corner route side you have a natural window to hit the seam route running underneath him. Key the flat defender or curl to flat linebacker, if he sinks with the corner route the underneath flat option opens for an easy pitch and catch. User controlled defenders sitting the corner route lane force a double move or checkdown, respect any user player baiting the throw before committing to the deep read. Man coverage with no safety help over the top on the corner side is the green light matchup, trust the corner route win against press or trail technique in these situations.
Usage Tips
Look for single high safety shells pre snap since the corner route wins isolated matchups against Cover 3 and Cover 1 when the CB has to respect the seam threat inside of him.
Motion or shift the HB pre snap to confirm man versus zone based on whether a defender follows across the formation.
Hot route the flat runner into a quick out if you see a linebacker sitting in the throwing lane, this clears the window for the corner route sooner.
Use this play on second and medium or third and long since the corner route needs time to develop and the deep shot pays off big against soft coverage shells.
Pair this with Inside Zone Lt and HB Draw earlier in a series to get linebackers creeping downhill, then hit the corner route play action style once the defense bites on run action tendencies.
