Empty Stick

Watch for Cover 3 sink where the flat defender and stick defender both widen late, this creates the throwing lane for the stick route sitting at the sticks. Identify Cover 2 shells pre-snap since the flat corner will squat hard, forcing you to either hit the stick route quickly or go to the deep vertical clear-out route. Key the middle linebacker depth at the snap, if he blitzes or drops slow into the stick zone the quick out underneath becomes the first available answer. Against man coverage or a nano blitz look, the empty backfield removes any check down safety valve, so recognize man alignment before the snap and be ready to throw the deep vertical route with anticipation. Be aware of user controlled lurk defenders sitting in the shallow flat area, since the stick and flat combo routes are the most vulnerable to a jumped throwing lane read.