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Quick Reference
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Breakdown
Quick Slants is a two receiver route concept out of Shotgun Spread Y-Slot, showing both outside receivers running slants toward the middle of the field while the two inside receivers work outward on shallow flat routes toward each sideline. The slot receivers essentially clear out or occupy underneath zone defenders while the outside slants attack the vacated middle window quickly off the snap. This is a man beater designed to exploit inside leverage from press corners, and it also holds up against soft zone thanks to the immediate horizontal stretch created by the flat routes underneath the slants. The primary read progression is playside slant first since it hits fastest against man coverage, then check the opposite slant if the first window is taken away by a shaded corner or underneath linebacker.
Defensive Reads
Watch for press man corners lined up head up or inside shade before the snap, this alignment tells you the slant should win immediately at the top of the route. Key the flat defenders after the snap, if they crash hard on the shallow flat routes the middle window opens for the slant even faster. Look for a Mike linebacker or nickel defender sitting in a shallow zone drop directly in the throwing lane, this is the primary defender who can jump and undercut the slant against zone coverage. Cover 2 with hard corners squatting on the flat routes can bait a quarterback into the slant throw only to have a safety rotate down and rob the route, scan the deep half before committing. Blitz packages that send extra rushers off the edge are the biggest threat since the slants take a beat to develop, if you see a nano blitz or overload look presnap consider a hot route or check into a faster breaking concept.
Usage Tips
Fire this play out quickly on early downs or third and short since the slants clear at the snap and beat both blitz timing and off man coverage before pressure arrives.
Presnap identify if the corners are pressed on the outside receivers, since press man is the ideal shell for the slant to break free with inside leverage.
Use the flat routes from the slot receivers as your zone beater outlet if you see a two high shell rolling down into an underneath zone that clogs the slant lanes.
Hot route the backside slant into a quick out if you diagnose a Cover 3 sky look, this keeps the corner from squatting on the route and opens an easy completion.
Pair this play with Slot Outs or Stick N Nod in the same set to keep the defense guessing between quick game slants and option routes off similar formation looks.
