Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 12 playbooks
Breakdown
Dbl Slant is a quick-hitting man beater out of Shotgun Split Slot Open with 20 personnel. Both outside receivers run slants that cross underneath while the two receivers to the boundary side release vertically up the seams, and the slot receiver on the strong side runs a quick out to the flat. The QB progression starts with the near slant (in this diagram, the receiver breaking to the middle from the right side) then works to the opposite slant crossing from the left, giving a fast rhythm throw designed to beat man coverage on the crossing routes and hit soft spots underneath zone drops.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they are sitting shallow in the middle of the field they can jump the crossing slants and create a user pick six opportunity. Check safety rotation post-snap, a single high safety rotating late signals man coverage underneath which is exactly what this play is designed to exploit. Cover 2 with hard-sitting corners at the line can squat on the slant routes and force a difficult throw into a crowded window, look to check into a different concept if you see this shell pre-snap. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge are dangerous here because the slants take a beat to develop, so identify overload blitz looks pre-snap and consider a hot route or check to a quicker outlet. Man coverage with no safety help over the top on the vertical releasers is the biggest tell that this play will hit big, since the crossing slants create natural rubs that shake man defenders loose.
Usage Tips
Fire this out quickly on early downs or third and short since the slants develop in under two seconds and beat aggressive man coverage before the pass rush closes.
Pre-snap, check for man coverage indicators like tight press alignment on the outside receivers, this play thrives when defenders are lined up head up or inside shade since the slants create natural separation to the outside.
If you see two high safeties with soft corners, hot route one of the vertical releasers into a hitch or speed out to attack the space underneath the safeties instead of forcing the slant read.
Pair this play with Slot Post Angle or 46 Y Cross in the same set to keep defenders guessing between quick underneath throws and deeper crossing patterns, this keeps linebackers from sitting on the slant window.
Use play-action from Power Read or HB Gut earlier in a series to get linebackers biting on run fakes, then dial up Dbl Slant to hit the crossing slants against a compromised second level.
