Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Corner Strike out of Shotgun Trey Open runs a five man route concept anchored by a corner route from the boundary receiver on the trips side, breaking outside and up toward the sideline for a deep shot. Underneath, the play floods the field with two out breaking routes on the left and a shallow drag crossing underneath from the tight end, while the backside single receiver runs a deep fade up the numbers. The RB stays in to help protect or check down late, and this is primarily a man beater designed to win one on one on the corner route against outside leverage, with the primary read progression starting on the corner route, then working down to the underneath out and drag combo if the corner is taken away.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check cornerback alignment on the trips side, tight outside leverage from the corner signals man coverage and an opportunity for the corner route to win over the top. Watch safety depth and rotation post-snap, a single high safety rotating late to help on the corner route indicates Cover 3 or Cover 1, which still allows a window on the corner if the cornerback is playing underneath. Key the flat defender and any linebacker dropping to the underneath out routes, a user controlled linebacker sitting in the shallow zone can jump the drag route, so be ready to move to the corner or fade instead. This play struggles against Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells with two deep safeties, since the corner route runs directly into the safety's zone drop and gets squeezed to the sideline. Look for aggressive nano blitz packages off the edge, since a fast pass rush disrupts the timing needed for the corner route to fully develop downfield.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing single high or two high safety shell, since the corner route thrives against single high man coverage with a corner blitzing linebacker vacating the flat.
If you see two deep safeties, be ready to check the corner route down quickly and work the shallow drag or out route underneath instead of forcing the deep shot.
Use hot routes to convert the RB into a checkdown release if you anticipate pressure, since the deep corner route takes time to develop and the offensive line needs to hold up.
This play pairs well with Curls or Y Stick HB Angle in the same set, since those plays attack the shorter zones and set up defenders to bite on shorter routes before you hit them with the corner shot later in a series.
Best called on 2nd or 3rd and medium to long, or in red zone situations near the goal line where the corner route becomes a fade to the pylon against man coverage.
