Playbooks
Likely unavailable in the playbook builder
Quick Reference
Not in any team playbook.
Breakdown
Zipper GL X Spot is tagged as a Cover 3 Beater built off the classic Spot concept out of Shotgun Tight Open 11 personnel. The X receiver runs the traditional spot combo, a quick hitch to the flat side with a corner route breaking over the top, while the slot runs a deep dig to the middle of the field and the TE releases into a shallow drag. The backside receiver takes a deep vertical shot to stretch the field and hold single coverage away from the boundary. This is a man and zone beater rep with the primary read progression starting on the flat hitch, working to the corner route sitting behind it, then coming back inside to the dig if the underneath defenders squeeze the flat.
Defensive Reads
Watch the deep third safety pre-snap, if he sits in the deep middle without rotation you are likely seeing Cover 3 which is exactly what this concept is designed to exploit Key the underneath flat defender post-snap, if he sinks to cover the corner route the hitch will be wide open for an easy completion Against Cover 1 or man coverage the corner route becomes a strong option since it forces the defender to work over the top with no safety help on that side Watch for a lurk defender sitting in the shallow middle zone since a user controlled linebacker can jump the dig route and bait you into a turnover Beware of a Cover 4 shell with matched deep coverage, since this can take away both the corner route and the vertical shot leaving only the shallow drag as a checkdown
Usage Tips
Check the deep safety alignment before the snap to identify Cover 3 versus Cover 1, since this concept is specifically built to attack the hard flat defender in Cover 3
Use the flat hitch as your first read against zone drops but be ready to hot route it into a flat control route if you see man press across from the X
If the linebacker sitting underneath jumps the hitch route, immediately work your eyes to the corner route sitting behind him for the explosive gain
Pair this play with Bench Z Spot or Mtn Curls Out N Up in the same set to keep defenders guessing between hitch and go combinations out of similar formations
Best called on second and medium to third and long when defenses are more likely to sit in zone drops rather than bring pressure
