Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Empty Smash aligns five receivers wide out of the Trey Y-Flex empty formation, with no back in the backfield to protect. The concept pairs a corner route from the outside receiver on the left with a flat route underneath from the inside slot, forming the classic smash combo, while the right side runs a deep dig from the outside receiver and a corner route from the slot to stretch the field vertically and horizontally. The far left receiver runs a quick out breaking route as an underneath check, and the far right receiver runs a deep post-corner up the sideline, giving you a full field read with high-low stretches on both sides. This is a zone beater built to attack Cover 2 and Cover 3 shells by forcing safeties to choose between the flat defender and the corner route.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and width since two safeties splitting the field wide open indicates Cover 2, which this play is designed to exploit with the corner over flat stretch. Watch the flat defender or overhang linebacker immediately after the snap, if he sinks deep with the corner route the underneath flat or out route will be wide open for a quick completion. Key the deep safety on the strong side, if he stays flat footed in the middle of the field he cannot help on both the deep dig and the corner route, so throw off his leverage. This play struggles against a disguised Cover 4 or Cover 6 shell where safeties can rotate late to take away both verticals, so if the cornerbacks show deep outside leverage pre-snap consider checking to a quicker underneath concept. Watch for a user controlled defender flashing into the flat or sitting in a lurk zone underneath the corner route, since aggressive user play on the smash side can jump the underneath throw and bait a turnover.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing two deep safeties or a single high safety, since Empty Smash is purpose built to attack two deep shells like Cover 2 and Cover 2 Man. If you see man coverage with no safety help over the top, hot route the flat route to a slant or peek the deep dig on the right side for a quicker throw against blitz look. Use this play on second and medium to third and long situations where you need a defined high low read and time to let the corner routes develop. Combine this with Empty Y Cross or Empty Stick earlier in a series so the defense respects underneath crossers, then hit them with the corner and dig combo here once they start jumping short routes. Against Cover 3, key the flat defender first since if he sinks with the corner route the flat should be wide open for an easy completion.
