Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Slot Outs is a five man route concept out of Spread Y-Flex Wk that attacks the boundary with a horizontal stretch. To the left side the outside receiver runs a vertical seam while the slot receiver breaks hard outside on an out route, and a third receiver runs a shallow out from the backfield alignment that crosses underneath toward the sideline. On the right side both receivers run a vertical and a dig combo that clears the middle and occupies deep defenders. The primary read starts with the shallow out crossing to the left sideline, then works to the slot out breaking outside, and finally to the backside dig if the boundary is taken away. This is a zone beater that punishes cover 3 and cover 4 shells by flooding one side of the field with three horizontal breakpoints at different depths.
Defensive Reads
Pre snap check safety depth, if both safeties sit deep and even you are likely seeing cover 2 or cover 4, which struggles to defend the double out combo to the left. Watch the flat defender at the snap, if he sinks with the vertical seam route the shallow out and slot out will both be open underneath him. Key the middle linebacker's drop, in cover 3 he will often widen to help on the crossing route, opening a throwing lane for the backside dig. Man coverage with underneath defenders keying receiver hips is the biggest threat to this concept, since the horizontal breaks on the out routes get much tighter windows against man technique. Watch for a nano blitz or user rush off the edge on the play side, since a shallow out route relies on quick timing and a fast beater and a fast blitz off the corner can disrupt the throw before it develops.
Usage Tips
Pre snap identify whether the defense is showing a two high or single high shell, since the crossing shallow out works best against single high looks where the flat defender has to respect the vertical seam first.
Hot route the backside vertical into a comeback or hitch if you are facing heavy zone drops underneath, this keeps a true outlet on the backside without needing a full progression read.
Use this play on second and medium to third and short since the shallow out and slot out both create easy pitch and catch throws that convert quickly.
Pair this with Quick Slants or RPO Peek Slant in your play calling sequence, since both plays attack the same side of the field with quicker timing and will condition the defense to bite on shorter routes before you hit the deeper out.
Look to attack cover 2 shells specifically, since the flat defender cannot cover both the shallow out and the slot out breaking to the same third of the field.
