Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Curl Combo out of Shotgun Stack Y-Flex lines up with a stacked receiver duo to the left, an inline TE and slot receiver to the right, and an RB releasing to the flat. The stacked receivers run a crossing combo where the outside man breaks under while the inside man pushes vertical and snaps back into a curl, the slot man on the number 1 side runs a deep vertical seam or go route, and the RB works a wide flat route out of the backfield underneath everything. This is a man beater that leans on the natural rub from the stacked alignment to spring the curl route free, with the vertical route on the number 1 side occupying deep coverage while the flat route from the RB gives a built-in checkdown against blitz or zone drops. Primary progression starts with the vertical shot to number 1 if the coverage bites on the curl or shows single high, then works to the curl breaking open off the natural pick, and finishes with the RB flat as the outlet.
Defensive Reads
Watch for two deep safeties presnap which usually signals zone drops underneath, in that case the curl route sitting down against a soft zone becomes the primary target Man coverage with a single high safety opens up the shot to number 1 on the vertical route, especially if the corner is playing off or gets rubbed by the stack release User controlled defenders sitting in a lurk spot in the middle of the field can jump the curl route, so if you see a defender sink hard into that window switch to the RB flat or the vertical Cover 3 defenders who widen with the flat route can open a soft spot behind them for the curl to settle into, look for late rotation from the corner Blitz heavy fronts with man coverage behind them get beat quickly by the RB flat since it releases fast and gives the quarterback an outlet before pressure arrives
Usage Tips
Check the safety alignment before the snap, if you see two deep safeties respect the curl and flat combo since the deep shot to number 1 is less likely to be there
If the defense shows man coverage, trust the natural rub from the stacked receivers to win on the curl, especially against press corners who get picked at the top of the stem
Use hot routes to convert the RB flat into a quick check if you diagnose a blitz, since that route comes out fastest and beats most nano blitzes
This play works best on second and medium or third and short to medium where the curl sits down in the sticks
Pair Curl Combo with HB Slip Screen or PA Jailbreak Screen from the same set to punish defenses that key on the RB flat route and start jumping it after seeing this play on tape
