Playbooks
Breakdown
Mtn Stick Z Post is a five man route concept out of Shotgun Tight Flex Wk that uses pre-snap motion to help identify man versus zone before the ball is snapped. The diagram shows the backside receiver running a deep post to attack the middle of the field, the tight end running a corner breaking route from the slot, the inside receiver on that side sitting on a quick stick at the sticks, and the frontside receiver running a stick out to the flat while the running back releases on a wide flat route underneath. This is a classic zone beater built on the stick concept, with the deep post serving as the alert versus single high safety looks and the stick and flat routes providing an easy underneath answer against off coverage. The primary read progression starts with the post if the play caller sees single high, then works to the stick and flat combo underneath if the safety rotates over the top.
Defensive Reads
Identify single high safety alignment before the snap, this tells you the post route is live and the defense is vulnerable up the middle. Watch the motion defender closely, if he trails across the formation it confirms man coverage and you should attack with the post immediately on the snap. Key the underneath linebackers after the snap, if they sink hard to take away the stick route the flat route from the running back becomes the easy answer. Cover 3 with a robber lurking in the middle of the field is the biggest threat to this play, since it can jump the post and undercut the stick route simultaneously. Two high safety shells with disciplined zone drops force you to rely on the stick and flat combo rather than the post, so recognize this shell pre-snap and adjust your first read accordingly.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to bait linebackers into declaring man coverage, if the defender follows across the formation you have a clean man beater with the post and corner routes stacking the deep middle. Check the safety alignment before the snap, if you see one high safety shaded to the post side, come off it quickly and work the stick to flat combo instead. Hot route the running back's flat route into a wheel against teams that key on the stick concept underneath, this adds a vertical answer that punishes zone defenders sitting on the shallow stuff. This play works best on second and medium to third and short situations where defenses expect a quick game answer, since the stick and flat routes give a safe checkdown while the post stays alive as a shot play. Pair this with Mtn Y Cross and Stick from the same set to keep defenders guessing between deep middle shots and quick game answers, both share similar route stems that create post-snap confusion for zone defenders.
