Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Smash Digs out of Shotgun Spread 10 personnel gives you a classic smash concept on the boundary paired with two dig routes working from the field side. The two inside receivers run corner routes stacked underneath, while the outside receiver runs the deep corner as part of the smash, and the two field side receivers break in on digs at different depths to stress the middle of the field. This is a zone beater built to attack Cover 2 and Cover 3 by overloading one side vertically while the digs sit down in the voids created by rotating linebackers, with the primary read progression starting at the deep dig, working down to the shorter dig, and using the corner routes as the boundary side answer against zone drops.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap check safety depth and spacing, if both safeties are deep and split wide this concept has room to work the digs into the intermediate zone. Watch the flat defender on the boundary side, if he sinks with the corner route the underneath window opens for a quick throw. Post-snap key the middle linebacker or hook defender, if he widens to the field side digs he leaves a throwing lane behind him for the corner routes. User controlled defenders sitting in the deep dig lanes are the biggest threat to this play, so recognize when a user is sinking into that zone and check down to the shorter route. This concept struggles against aggressive man blitzes that get quick pressure since the digs take time to develop, so have a hot route or check ready if you see a nano blitz look pre-snap.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap identify two high safeties or a single high safety to determine whether the smash side corner or the digs will be open first.
Against Cover 2 look, target the corner routes on the closed side since the flat defender cannot cover both the corner and any underneath route.
Against Cover 3 or single high shells, work the digs first since the deep dig will sit in the seam between the hook and deep third defenders.
Use hot routes to convert the shorter dig into a spot or hitch if you diagnose a hard zone blitz, giving your quarterback a quick outlet.
Pair this play with Curl Flats or Y Stick earlier in a drive so the defense respects underneath zone drops, then hit the digs on Smash Digs once linebackers start sitting shallow.
