Slants

Watch for corners playing outside shade on the trips side presnap, since inside slant leverage against outside technique corners is where this play wins fastest. Key the middle linebacker depth at the snap, if he sinks too deep into a zone drop the shallow crossing slants from the trips side will have soft grass to work with underneath. Be alert for a user controlled defender sitting in a shallow zone or lurking near the crossing point of the slants, since a smart defender can jump the throwing lanes if the quarterback stares down the first read too long. This play struggles against tight man coverage with safety help underneath such as Cover 1 Robber, where the rat defender can rob the crossing routes and blow up the timing. Blitz packages that bring pressure off the trips side can disrupt the quarterbacks first read window, so check for overload blitzes and be ready to get the ball out fast on the TE slant or check to the RB release.