Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Curl Combo lines up out of Shotgun Spread Y-Slot Wk with 11 personnel and shows a five man route concept designed to attack zone coverage. To the left, the outside receiver runs a wheel route out of the backfield area while the inline tight end and slot receiver both settle into curls at intermediate depth, creating a natural curl-flat stack read on that side. To the right, the isolated X receiver (marked as the number 1 read) runs a quick out/curl breaking route while the inside receiver runs a vertical seam, giving the quarterback a two way go against single high or split safety shells. This is a zone beater at its core, using curl sit routes to settle into soft spots between the underneath and deep zones, with the primary progression starting at the number 1 receiver on the boundary before working back to the curl-flat combo on the trips side.
Defensive Reads
Check linebacker depth before the snap, since shallow drops signal they are sitting on curl and hook zones which can bait a bad throw into a jumped route. Watch the slot cornerback and safety rotation post snap to see if the defense is running Cover 3 or Cover 4, since curl routes settle into soft spots in both but timing changes based on flat defender width. If the defense shows Cover 2 with two deep safeties, the curl routes on both sides become high value throws since the underneath zone defenders have to choose between the flat and the curl. Man coverage with no safety help over the top on the number 1 receiver is a green light to throw the curl quickly before the defensive back can undercut the break. Beware of nano blitzes or a user blitzing off the edge, since the curl combo takes extra time to develop and a well timed interior blitz can force a quick checkdown or sack before routes mature.
Usage Tips
Use this play on second and medium to third and long when you expect zone drops from linebackers sitting in curl or hook zones.
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing two high shells or single high, since curl routes settle in the soft spot behind linebackers and in front of safeties in both shells but hit differently depending on leverage.
Hot route the number 1 receiver into a quicker out or speed cut if you are getting a hard corner press look, since his curl can be jumped by aggressive man corners.
Pair this play with Four Verticals or PA Comebacks from the same set to keep defenses honest, since both plays use similar initial route stems that look like curl combo before breaking differently downfield.
Against teams that user the underneath zone defender, work your eyes to the trips side curl-flat combo first since the flat route can pull the user defender out of the throwing lane for the curl behind him.
