Playbooks
Likely unavailable in the playbook builder
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Smash Corners is a classic Cover 2 beater built around a high low read on both outside receivers, stacking a short hitch or flat route underneath a deep corner route to stretch the flat defender vertically. Out of the 11 personnel Shotgun set, both boundary and field receivers run the smash concept simultaneously, giving you a two for one crack at any defense playing a two deep safety shell with hard corners underneath. The primary read progression starts with the corner route to the single receiver side, then works to the fade or corner on the other side if the first is capped, with the underlying hitch as your checkdown against a hard squat by the corner.
Defensive Reads
Watch both safeties before the snap, if they are aligned deep and evenly split it signals Cover 2 or Cover 4, both of which are vulnerable to the corner route beating the flat defender. Key the cornerbacks at the snap, if they squat hard on the hitch route the corner route behind them will be wide open in the void between the corner and rotating safety. Man coverage with a single high safety shuts this play down quickly since the corner route runs directly into the safety help, so check for Cover 1 or Cover 3 shells before committing to the deep throw. User controlled defenders sitting in a lurk position over the flat can jump the underneath hitch route, so know your quarterback's checkdown reads and avoid throwing into a jumped lane. Watch linebacker depth on zone drops, a linebacker sinking into the flat can disrupt the low route of the smash concept and force you to rely solely on the corner route timing.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the corners are playing off man or squatting into a zone shell, since Smash Corners punishes any defender sitting on the short route.
If you see two deep safeties and hard flat corners, throw the corner route immediately off the snap before the safety can rotate over the top.
Hot route the backside corner into a deep out or comeback against press man coverage to counter aggressive jam techniques from the cornerback.
Use this play on second and long or third and medium situations where defenses are more likely to sit in Cover 2 shells to protect against the deep ball.
Pair this call with Slot Outs or Quick Slants earlier in a drive to condition the defense to expect short routes, then hit the corner route deep once the safeties start creeping up.
