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Breakdown
Mtn Fade Smash out of Shotgun Trey Y-Flex Str is a smash concept pass play built to attack Cover 2 and other two-high safety shells. Pre-snap motion brings the flat receiver in, and at the snap the two outside receivers on the left run a corner route and a fade up the sideline while the tight end runs a vertical seam, creating a natural high low stretch on the sideline corner. The lone receiver to the right runs an out breaking flat route underneath, giving the quarterback a smash read from outside fade to corner to the underneath flat as checkdown, with the running back staying in to help protect.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify two deep safeties as your first indicator that this smash concept will have a soft spot behind the flat defender and in front of the deep safety. Watch the cornerback depth at the snap: if he sinks with the fade route immediately, the corner route window opens up quickly for an easy completion. Post-snap, key the flat or curl-flat defender in zone coverage. If he sprints out to the underneath route without depth, the corner route will be uncontested behind him. Man coverage with no safety help over the top is the biggest defensive weakness, since the fade becomes a pure jump ball or speed win against inferior corners. A user controlled deep safety who stays home over the top and drives on the corner route can take away the entire progression, forcing the quarterback down to the checkdown flat route. Watch for a blitz off the edge on the side of the flat route since the running back is often the only extra protector, which can force a rushed throw before the corner route develops.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone: if the motion man is followed across the formation you are getting man coverage and can attack the corner and fade one on one down the sideline.
Against Cover 2, throw the corner route into the void behind the flat defender and in front of the safety before he can rotate over the top.
On third and long, prioritize the fade if you have a size mismatch outside, since the corner route serves as the layered backup underneath the safety.
Pair this play with Mtn Stick and Mtn Verticals from the same set so the smash concept and stick concept look identical pre-snap, forcing linebackers and safeties to hesitate on their run fits and coverage drops.
Use play action shot plays like PA Verts from this set on early downs to hold the safeties, then come back to Mtn Fade Smash once the defense starts sitting on shorter routes.
