Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Redzone HB Corner out of Shotgun Split Twins sends both outside receivers vertical up the seams to clear out the coverage while the HB releases out of the backfield on a corner route to the flat and up the sideline. The two seam routes occupy safeties and linebackers, opening a natural window for the HB corner route against man or off zone coverage in tight redzone spacing. This is a man beater designed to isolate the HB against a linebacker in coverage, with the primary read progression starting on the HB corner route first, then working to the seam routes if the corner route is taken away by a flat defender or safety squeezing down.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify whether a linebacker or safety is aligned over the HB. A linebacker in man coverage on the back is the matchup this play is designed to exploit. Watch for Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells where both safeties sit deep. Those shells can bracket the HB corner route if the flat defender sinks with the seam routes. Key the flat or curl defender's zone drop. If that defender widens with the corner route immediately at the snap, the throwing window closes fast in the redzone. Look for a user controlled defender lurking underneath the seam routes or spying the HB out of the backfield, since a disciplined lurk can undercut the corner route before it develops. This play struggles against tight man coverage with safety help over the top on the HB, since the compressed redzone spacing gives the corner route little room to separate vertically.
Usage Tips
Call this play inside the 10 yard line where the compressed field width makes the HB corner route nearly impossible to cover without a dedicated defender on the back.
Check pre-snap for a linebacker or safety walked up over the HB. If you see man coverage with a slower linebacker matched on the HB, throw the corner route with anticipation before the break.
Use the seam routes as your window read against zone shells. If both safeties bail deep to cover the seams, the HB corner sits in the void between the cornerback and safety.
Hot route the backside seam receiver into a quick out or slant if you diagnose a Cover 2 or Cover 4 shell, since the deep safeties will jump the vertical seams and clog the middle of the field.
Pair this with Corners or Texas from the same set to keep the defense guessing between the double seam clear out and the HB spot up wheel action, forcing linebackers to hesitate on their coverage assignments.
