Playbooks

Stick

Shotgun·Trey Open·11
Likely unavailable in the playbook builder
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

Stick out of Shotgun Trey Open is a classic three level sticks concept built to attack zone and man coverage with quick, high percentage throws. The play features a stick route (five yard hook) from one target, a flat route underneath to occupy the corner or flat defender, and a corner or vertical breaking route from the trips side to stretch the deep third or hole defender in zone. It is not a run play, screen, or RPO, it is a true dropback passing concept, and the primary read progression starts with the flat defender: if he sits, throw the flat, if he widens with the flat runner, snap your eyes to the stick sitting in the hole for the easy completion, then climb to the corner or seam breaker if the defense rolls coverage away from the trips side.

Defensive Reads

Pre snap, look at the flat defender depth and the linebacker walk up, a linebacker sitting shallow signals underneath zone coverage that will contest the stick route Post snap, watch the flat defender first, if he sinks with the flat route the stick sits wide open in the hook zone for a rhythm throw Cover 3 and Cover 4 zone shells are vulnerable to this concept because the underneath defenders cannot cover both the flat and the stick route simultaneously, creating a natural conflict Man coverage with no help over the top gets exposed if the corner steps up to jam, since the stick route breaks inside away from the jam and creates instant separation Watch for a user controlled lurk defender sitting in the shallow hole, if a human defender is spying the stick route come off it early and work the corner breaking route or check down to the flat before the blitz or lurk closes the window

Usage Tips

Use Stick on second and short or third and short to third and medium since the concept is built on the quick stick and flat combo that only needs five to six yards

Identify the coverage shell before the snap by checking the safety alignment, if you see two high safeties expect softer underneath zones so the stick route sits in the hole for an easy pitch and catch

Against man coverage hot route the flat runner into a quick out or speed out to create separation immediately off the line since the stick concept naturally beats man with the pick style spacing between the flat and stick routes

If the corner from Trey trips is jumping the flat every time, motion or hot route him vertical to convert this into a big play shot against overaggressive underneath defenders

Pair Stick with Curls or Y Stick HB Angle in the same set to keep the defense guessing between quick game sticks concepts and slightly deeper curl breakpoints, this forces linebackers to hesitate on their zone drops and opens throwing lanes over the middle

Other Plays in Trey Open