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Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Stick out of Shotgun Trey 4WR is a quick-hitting timing concept designed to attack zone coverage underneath while giving the quarterback multiple sticks to work through in rhythm. To the trips side, the inside receiver runs a quick flat route, the middle receiver settles into a stick/hitch at the sticks, and the outside receiver runs a corner route to clear out the deep zone defender. On the backside, the single receiver runs a curl and drag combo, giving the quarterback a hot backside option if the trips side is jumped. There is no visible pass protection detail in the diagram, but the concept is built for a quick three-step drop with the flat and stick routes as the primary and secondary reads, and the backside curl as the outlet.
Defensive Reads
Watch for a linebacker sitting directly on the stick route, since that is the primary sign of a Cover 3 or Cover 4 zone drop designed to squat on the intermediate throw. If a corner or safety is playing outside leverage on the trips corner route, expect the underneath flat and stick combo to be open in rhythm. Man coverage with a defender shaded inside on the backside receiver signals a good matchup for the curl and drag combo as a hot read. A blitz look with the middle linebacker crashing downhill pre-snap often leaves the flat route wide open, so be ready to get the ball out fast. Sim pressure or a nano blitz off the edge can collapse the pocket before the stick route sits down, so check protection and consider a quick flat throw as the answer.
Usage Tips
Presnap identify if the defense is showing zone or man by checking linebacker depth and safety rotation, since Stick is built to punish zone drops that hesitate on the stick route.
If you see two high safeties with soft corners, target the flat and stick combo quickly before the underneath defenders can sink into their zones.
Use the backside curl and drag as a built in hot route answer against man coverage or when the trips side gets clogged by a robber or lurking linebacker.
Pair this play with Y Corner or Four Verticals in the same set to keep defenses honest, since Stick punishes teams that sit in shallow zones while the deeper shots punish overaggressive underneath coverage.
Best used on third and short to third and medium where the stick and flat combo can consistently move the chains against zone heavy defenses.
