Playbooks
Smash Spot out of Shotgun Split U Off Close is a classic Smash concept married to a Spot combo underneath, giving you a two level zone beater with man beater properties on the outside. The outside receiver runs a hitch or quick out while the inside receiver clears vertically on a corner route, stretching the zone high low on that side while the backside works a spot concept with a flat, spot drop, and dig to hold linebackers. Primary read progression starts with the corner route against Cover 2 or Cover 3 (look for the deep half or deep third defender to bite on the hitch), then works down to the spot concept on the backside if the smash side is capped, using the flat defender as your leverage key.
Read the deep half safety on smash side pre snap, if he is shaded to the boundary the corner route has one on one leverage over the top Watch the corner at the snap, a hard squat on the hitch route means the corner route window is open behind him Key the flat defender on the spot concept side, if he widens with the flat route that opens the dig and hole shot behind him Identify Cover 4 or pattern match shells since defenders can sink under both smash routes and take away the high low read entirely Look for a user controlled defender lurking in the shallow spot zone since that is the most common way defenses jump this concept and bait a turnover
Use this on third and medium or third and long when you expect zone shells since the smash concept punishes Cover 2 corners who sit on the hitch route
Check the corner pre snap, if he is sitting at five yards outside leverage that is a strong indicator of Cover 2 or Cover 3 and the corner route should be open behind him
Hot route the underneath hitch into a quick out if you see man coverage with no flat defender to speed up the ball out of your hands against blitz looks
Pair this with Texas U-Out in your play calling sequence since both attack the flat to corner relationship, forcing defenders to declare their leverage before the snap
Use Mtn Cross Screen as a change of pace call after running Smash Spot a few times to keep linebackers from sitting on the underneath spot routes