Playbooks
Smash FB Angle pairs a classic smash concept to one side (hitch or hi-lo corner over a flat route) with a fullback angle route leaking out of the backfield as a check down and man beater against linebackers. This is a passing play out of 21 personnel that stresses both zone and man coverage: the smash side attacks Cover 2 corners by putting a short route under a deep corner route, while the FB angle gives you a rhythm throw against Cover 3 sink or man matchups where a linebacker cannot mirror the FB's angle break. Primary progression starts with the smash concept high to low (corner route to flat/hitch), then works to the FB angle route as the emergency and man beater outlet if the smash side is capped or the underneath defender widens with the flat route.
Read the corner's depth at the snap, if he sinks hard on the corner route with no safety help rotating over, the flat or hitch underneath will be wide open on the smash concept. Key the flat defender or curl to flat defender in zone coverage, if he widens to take away the flat route the corner route behind him is the answer, but if he sits and jumps the route the FB angle becomes the checkdown. Watch for a user controlled defender flying to the FB angle route as a lurk threat, this is a common way defenses shut down this concept, so be ready to climb the smash progression back to the corner route if the FB is taken away. Identify blitz packages pre snap by checking linebacker depth, if backers are crashing downhill in nano blitz alignment the FB angle route or the flat route serve as the quick answer against pressure before the corner route has time to develop. Cover 3 with a hard sinking corner and a robber underneath can suffocate this concept, so if you see that shell post snap, be ready to abandon the smash read early and check it down to the FB angle for positive yardage instead of forcing a shot.
Use pre snap motion or a quick glance at the safety alignment to identify if you are looking at two high shells (Cover 2 or Cover 4) or single high (Cover 1 or Cover 3), since the smash concept is built to punish two high looks by putting the corner route over the top of the flat defender.
If the defense shows man coverage with a linebacker on the fullback, trust the FB angle route immediately since linebackers struggle to stay in phase on the angle break, making this a quick answer against Cover 1 and Cover 0 blitz looks.
Hot route the backside receiver into a slant or drag if you are getting zero help from the boundary, this lets you build a fast flow read without waiting on the full smash progression to develop.
This play works best on second and medium to long or third and short situations because the FB angle serves as a built in checkdown against pressure while the smash side handles down and distance shots on the boundary.
Pair this call with Slants or Slant Switch earlier in a series to condition the defense to jump underneath throws, then come back to Smash FB Angle so the corner route can work behind a cheating cornerback for a bigger explosive gain.