Playbooks

Deep Stick

Shotgun·Trey Open HB Str·11

Stick Post Flat Option Route Slant Wheel Pass Play

Diagram coming soon

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetTrey Open HB Str

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 2 playbooks

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Breakdown

Deep Stick is a man beater built off the Stick concept with a deep shot layered in to punish aggressive corners and single-high shells. The trips side runs a stick combo (flat, hitch, and corner or seam breaking route depending on personnel) while the backside receiver stretches vertically to hold the safety, and the HB releases as a check down or leaks into the flat as a fourth option. The primary read progression starts with the deep vertical shot to see if you have a one on one win, then works down to the stick/flat combo underneath, using the flat defender's leverage to decide between the hitch and the corner breaking route.

Defensive Reads

Read the corner over the deep route pre-snap, if he is playing off man technique or shows outside leverage the deep shot has a favorable throwing lane on a slant or fade release. Key the flat defender or first inside linebacker to the trips side, if he sinks with the flat route the hitch sits down for an easy completion, if he jumps the flat route the corner breaking route behind him opens up. Watch for two deep safeties rotating post-snap into a cover 4 or cover 6 shell, this squeezes the deep shot window and forces you to check down to the stick combo quickly. Identify if the defense shows a user controlled lurk defender sitting in the underneath middle zone, this defender can jump the drag or in cutting routes and bait a turnover if you force the throw. Look for a blitz off the edge or a nano pressure look pre-snap, since the deep shot takes time to develop, a hot blitz can force an early checkdown to the HB before the route stems fully.

Usage Tips

Diagnose the safety shell before the snap, if you see two high safeties rotate to the trips side stick combo immediately since the deep shot is less likely to be open against split safety zone coverage.

Against man coverage with a single high safety, take the deep shot on early reps to test the corner's leverage and speed, this sets up easy completions underneath later in the drive once defenders start jumping the flat route.

Hot route the backside receiver into a slant or drag if you are getting no help over the top and want a quicker underneath answer against blitz looks.

Use this play on early downs as a shot play, then sequence into Stick or Stick Wheel from the same set to keep the defense guessing between the deep shot and quick game answers off identical formation and personnel.

Pair with RPO Peek Hitch or RPO Zone Peek Bubble on second and short to disguise run action before going empty backfield deep shot on a later snap, this keeps linebackers honest and slows their pursuit to the flat.