Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Bench Swirl-Return lines up out of Shotgun Tight Open with 11 personnel and shows a two by two look after the diagrammed motion. On the left side the tight end runs a swirl route that snaps flat to the sideline and the inside receiver climbs vertically before breaking back outside, creating a return concept that clears space underneath. To the right the outside receiver runs a deep corner route while the inside slot runs a quick out to the flat, giving the quarterback a high low stretch on that side. This is a man beater built on natural picks and crossing traffic, with the primary read starting on the right side corner and flat combo before working back to the left side swirl and return route.
Defensive Reads
Read the flat defender on the right side first, if he sinks with the out route the corner route behind him should be open against single high safety looks. Watch the boundary corner's depth at the snap, soft press or a bail technique signals zone and tells you to work the swirl return combo on the left immediately. Key the middle linebacker's drop, if he widens to take away the return route the underneath swirl flat becomes the checkdown. This concept struggles against a two high shell with aggressive underneath zone drops since it clogs both the flat and swirl windows simultaneously. Watch for a user controlled defender sitting in the shallow flat zone on the left, that lurk threat can jump the swirl route if the quarterback stares it down too long.
Usage Tips
Check the pre snap alignment of the slot corner and safety to the boundary side, if they are showing man press you want to attack the right side corner route immediately off the snap. Use motion to identify man versus zone before the snap, if the defender follows across the formation you have a green light for the swirl return combo on the backside. Hot route the left side swirl into a deeper drag versus zone heavy shells to sit it behind linebackers and in front of safeties. Best used on second and medium to second and long where the corner route can stretch the field and the flat route serves as a checkdown against a blitz. Pair this play with Bench Return and Bench Z Spot in the same set so the defense sees similar backfield action and route stems, forcing linebackers to hesitate on their zone drops.
