Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Corner Strike lines up in Shotgun Spread Y-Flex Wk with 11 personnel and shows a two-way route concept off a hi-lo stem on each side. To the left, the outside receiver runs a deep comeback/out breaking hard to the sideline while the inside receiver runs a quick out underneath, creating a natural high-low read against zone corners. To the right, the outside receiver pushes vertical into a corner route while the inside receiver runs a shallow out, giving the quarterback a corner-flat combo on that side. This is a zone beater built around clearing out underneath defenders and attacking the corners of the field, with the primary read starting on the right side corner route against Cover 3 or Cover 4 shells before working back to the left comeback if the corner route is capped.
Defensive Reads
Identify single-high safety shells like Cover 3 or Cover 1 since the corner route to the right is designed to split the deep third defender and the flat defender. Watch the flat defender on the corner side immediately after the snap, if he sinks with the underneath out route it opens a throwing lane for the corner route behind him. Key the boundary cornerback's depth at the snap, soft corners playing off coverage tip a good throwing window on the left side comeback route. Look for a user controlled defender flying to the flat or squatting on the underneath route, this signals the offense should hold the corner route and reset to the backside comeback. This concept is vulnerable to Cover 4 quarters coverage with disciplined safeties driving on the corner route, and it struggles against a well timed Cover 2 hard corner press that jams the release before the stem develops.
Usage Tips
Check pre-snap for two-high versus single-high safety alignment since the corner route on the right side needs the deep quarter or half defender to be occupied or displaced.
If the defense shows Cover 2, hot route the inside receiver on the corner side to a seam or bench read to attack the flat defender before he can widen for the corner.
Use this play on second and long or third and medium when defenses are more likely to sit in zone shells and give up the boundary throws.
Pair Corner Strike with Quick Slants or RPO Peek Slant from the same set to keep linebackers honest against play calls that attack the middle before you go back to the outside corner shots.
Against man coverage, target the left side comeback since the double move nature of the stem creates natural separation versus a trailing corner in off man.
