Playbooks

Mtn H Stick

Shotgun·Spread Y-Slot·11

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 2 playbooks

Saints OffenseOffenseNFL Live Saints OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Mtn H Stick is a quick-hitting spot concept out of Shotgun Spread Y-Slot that pairs a stick route from the H (slot) with a mountain point flood on the outside. The route combo gives the quarterback a fast triangle read: the stick sits down in the underneath zone or works away from man coverage, while the outside routes stretch the field vertically to hold the corner and safety. This is a zone beater at its core, designed to exploit soft spots in cover 2 and cover 3 while still giving a natural man beater rub via the stick's inside break versus press or off man. Primary progression starts with the stick from H, then works to the flood side read if a defender sits over the stick or if the underneath zone is occupied.

Defensive Reads

Identify the middle linebacker's pre-snap depth since a shallow drop from him directly threatens the stick route and forces you to the flood side of the concept. Watch the slot cornerback's alignment at the snap. If he presses and jumps the stick route, you likely have a lurking underneath defender so be ready to move to your secondary read quickly. Cover 2 shells with a hard corner jam can disrupt the stick's release, so look for the safety rotation to determine if you should take the shot outside instead. Blitz packages that bring pressure from the slot side will remove the underneath defender covering the stick, creating an easy completion if the quarterback gets the ball out fast. Cover 3 with strong outside contain from the corners will bracket the flood routes, so trust the stick as your primary answer against that shell.

Usage Tips

Use this play on early downs or third and short since the stick route settles quickly and gives a high percentage completion against most coverage shells.

Check the slot cornerback's depth before the snap. If he is playing off man or bailing into zone, the stick sits in the void and should be your first read every time.

Hot route the backside receiver into a shallow drag or extend his route depth if you are facing a heavy cover 3 shell to add a second layer to the flood read.

Pair this play with Mtn Y Cross or Mtn H Shallow Cross in your play calling sequence to keep defenders guessing between stick and crossing concepts out of the same formation look.

Against man coverage, motion the H before the snap to get a free access read on whether the defense is man or zone, then attack the stick route immediately if you see man leverage inside.

Other Plays in Spread Y-Slot