Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Slants Middle out of Shotgun Spread with 10 personnel sends four receivers on slant routes that all converge toward the middle of the field, with the two outside receivers running deeper crossing slants over the top of the two inside slants from the slot. The lone back to the boundary side runs a flat route underneath, giving the quarterback a built in checkdown against a hard blitz. This is a man beater by design since all four slants create natural picks and rubs across the field, forcing man defenders into traffic while the quarterback reads inside out from the near slot slant to the crossing slant to the flat.
Defensive Reads
Bring the strong safety down into the box pre-snap to add a body in the middle of the field, since this play lives on picking man defenders in that area. Play Cover 2 or Cover 3 zone with linebackers sitting at five to seven yards to clog the crossing lanes the inside slants need to hit. Watch for the quarterback locking onto the near slot slant early and jump that route with a user linebacker or nickel defender for a jump ball opportunity. If the offense hot routes the flat route into a deeper pattern, key the running back release out of the backfield to diagnose the adjustment quickly. Disguise a nano blitz off the edge since the quick slant timing forces the quarterback to make a fast decision, and any confusion in protection creates a coverage sack or forced throw.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, look for man coverage indicators like corners lined up tight on the receivers with no outside leverage help, since the slant combo thrives on picking off man defenders in traffic.
Hot route the backside outside receiver into a deeper dig or post if you see two high safeties sitting soft, since that stresses zone defenders who sink underneath the slants.
Use this on early downs or third and short to medium since the quick timing of the slants gets the ball out before interior pressure arrives.
Pair this with RPO Peek Slant or Quick Slants earlier in a series so the defense starts jumping the quick inside throws, then hit the deeper crossing slant when they overcommit.
Against zone blitz looks, get the ball to the flat route immediately since it is the built in answer when the middle gets clogged by underneath defenders.
