Playbooks

Four Verticals

Shotgun·Trey Open·11
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This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 1 playbook

Air Raid Classic OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Four Verticals out of Shotgun Trey Open sends all four eligible receivers vertically up the field, stretching the defense from sideline to sideline with a true vertical stretch concept. The Trey bunch look on the strong side creates natural rub potential against man coverage while the backside single receiver runs an isolated vertical to hold the corner. This is a premier man beater and deep zone buster designed to attack single high safety looks (Cover 1 and Cover 3), with the primary read progression starting at the deep safety: work backside iso first if the safety cheats to the trips side, then work the seam routes on the strong side if the safety bails to the middle of the field.

Defensive Reads

Pre snap, identify whether the safeties are showing two high or one high, since two high shells with soft corners will bracket the seams and shut down the interior verticals. Watch the strong side corner and slot defender at the snap, if they crash down on the trips bunch expecting a rub route you can throw off that break with the seam sitting behind them. Track the middle linebacker depth after the snap, a shallow drop means he can jump the inside seam so hold that throw and work the backside iso instead. This play struggles against Cover 4 quarters and disguised Cover 2 looks with aggressive deep half safeties, since both seam routes get squeezed by numbers over the top. Be alert for a user controlled deep safety sitting in the middle of the field, a good lurk defender can rob the inside seam so patience on the backside go route is critical against that user tendency.

Usage Tips

Check the safety count before the snap, if you see one deep safety this play is live and you should trust the seams or the backside iso route depending on rotation.

Motion the H back or use a hot route to convert one of the trips receivers into a shallow crosser if you diagnose Cover 3 with three deep defenders, this gives you a checkdown against a sunk middle linebacker.

User the backside single receiver on a go route against man coverage since this isolates a corner with no help over the top in most Cover 1 looks.

Save this play for second and long or third and long situations where the defense is more likely to sit in zone shells, since it punishes teams that drop into Cover 3 or Cover 4 without disguising rotation.

Pair this call with Curls or Stick earlier in a drive to bait the defense into sitting on underneath zones, then hit Four Verticals once linebackers start jumping short routes.

Other Plays in Trey Open