Playbooks
Breakdown
Four Verticals out of Shotgun Trey 4WR sends the three receivers to the trips side vertically up the field, with the outer two running straight seams and the inner slot receiver breaking his vertical stem into a deep crossing route toward the opposite hash. The backside X receiver runs a matching vertical route up the numbers, giving you four defenders stretched deep across the field. The running back stays in to check release and works a flat route underneath as the outlet if the coverage bails deep, and there is no run blocking shown since this is a pure dropback pass concept designed as a Cover 2 and Cover 3 beater. Your primary read starts backside with the single receiver vertical against Cover 3 or Cover 2, then progresses to the trips side seams before working down to the deep crosser and finally the HB check release underneath.
Defensive Reads
Read the free safety depth at the snap, since a shallow or rotating safety signals Cover 3 and opens the deep crosser or backside vertical for a big play. Watch the cornerbacks on the trips side, because press man alignment means the seam routes will win quickly off the release while soft zone corners will sit and wait for the seam to declare. Key the underneath linebackers, since if they widen with the crosser it opens a throwing lane for the seam route right behind them, but if they sit in their zone drop they can undercut the crossing route for a jump ball read. This concept is vulnerable to a Cover 4 or Cover 6 shell with two deep safeties who can split the field and squeeze all four verticals into tight windows, and it gets shut down hard by a disguised Cover 2 Man or by a user controlled deep defender who jumps the crosser. Watch for a user blitz off the edge, since the quarterback has a long dropback read here and interior pressure can force a premature throw before the routes fully develop.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the safeties are showing two high or rotating to single high, since this concept punishes both Cover 2 and Cover 3 shells if the seams and crosser clear out the middle of the field. Against Cover 2, target the seam routes in the honey hole between the cornerback and safety before the safeties can squeeze the window. Against Cover 3, work the deep crosser away from the rotating safety or hit the backside vertical if the corner is playing off man. Use motion or a hot route to release the HB into the route a beat earlier if you expect a blitz, since he is your checkdown against pressure looks. Pair this play with Dagger Smash or Stick earlier in a series to bait linebackers into sitting on shorter zones, then come back to Four Verticals to attack the vacated deep middle. This play shines on early downs or in two minute situations when you need an explosive play and can afford the deep drop time, but avoid it on third and short against disciplined zone teams that can rally underneath.
