Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Drive Under out of Shotgun Trey Open Offset lines up three receivers to the trips side with a lone receiver on the backside running a deep vertical release up the numbers. The trips side runs the classic Drive concept: the inside slot drags underneath across the middle of the field while the outside receiver on that side clears out on a corner breaking route, and the tight end pushes up before working an under route back across the field. The backside receiver runs a deep flag from the boundary, giving you a two level crosser combo (drag and under) that stresses zone defenders horizontally while the corner and go routes hold safeties deep. This is a zone beater built around the drag as the primary read, with the under route and backside flag as your secondary and tertiary options against man coverage or robbed zones.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth at the snap: shallow linebackers who jump the drag route immediately signal a defense selling out on the underneath crosser, so be ready to work the flag or corner route behind them. Check for a robber or lurk defender sitting in the middle of the field, since this play is vulnerable to a user spying the drag and jumping the throwing lane. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender can undercut the drag route if the defender sinks quickly, so know your outlet before releasing the ball. Against Cover 4, the corner and flag routes on the outside are designed to stress the deep quarters defenders while the drag exploits the shallow void underneath, making this an ideal Cover 4 beater as tagged. Man coverage with inside linebacker or nickel matched on the slot drag creates natural leverage for you if the defender lacks the speed to stay with the crosser, but watch for a linebacker blitz off the edge that beats your protection before routes develop.
Usage Tips
Read the drag route first, it is your rhythm throw against most zone shells and gets the ball out quickly against pressure.
Check the middle of the field pre-snap: if you see two high safeties, this play thrives because the drag and under routes will find soft spots between the linebackers and the safeties sitting deep.
Against man coverage, the drag becomes a natural pick or rub route, so look to work it against off man or Cover 1 where the flat defender has to fight through traffic.
Use this on second and medium or third and short since the drag and under combo lets you take a quick underneath completion and get positive yards after catch.
Pair Drive Under with Four Verticals or Y Corner from the same set so defenses cannot sit on the drag once they start keying it, forcing them to respect the vertical shots off the same formation look.
