Playbooks
Salem
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Salem out of Shotgun Trey Open (11 personnel) is a play-action flood concept that attacks both sides of the field with a deep shot mixed in. To the boundary, the three-receiver Trey side runs a deep go/clearout up the numbers, a corner route breaking to the sideline underneath it, and a flat route from the third receiver, creating a high-low flood read. To the backside, the single receiver runs a deep dig/cross while the in-line blocker releases on a short out, giving the quarterback a two-man read away from the flood if the coverage rotates hard. This is built as a Cover 3 and Cover 2 beater, with the flood side stressing curl-flat defenders and the deep go route taking the top off any single-high safety, while play-action helps hold the linebackers and freeze run support before they can drop into the flat.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth, a single high safety signals Cover 3 or Cover 1 which opens up the flood side corner route and deep go route Watch the flat defender on the Trey side at the snap, if he widens immediately to the flat receiver the corner route window behind him gets wider Key the backside cornerback on the single receiver route, off coverage or a deep half shell there tells you the dig can be a live throw if the flood side is capped User linebackers who spy the play-action fake instead of dropping to the flat are the biggest liability, since that lets the flat route and corner route both develop clean This play struggles against a hard Cover 2 sky rotation with an aggressive slot defender jumping the flat, since that clogs the shortest read and forces a hot throw to the backside out
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs when you have run action established, since the play-action fake needs linebackers biting downhill to fully open the flood side
Pre-snap, identify the flat defender and curl-to-flat defender on the Trey side, if they are sitting short you want to trust the corner route sitting down behind them
Against Cover 3, work the flood progression from flat to corner to go route, the corner should sit in the void between the flat defender and rotating deep third safety
Against Cover 2, the go route on the flood side is your primary answer since it stretches the deep half safety, while the backside dig can be a checkdown if the safety jumps the flood
Pair Salem with Curls or Y Stick HB Angle earlier in a drive to set up run-action tendencies, then hit Salem off similar formation and motion to catch linebackers cheating up
