Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Inside Post is a trips-based dropback pass out of Shotgun Trey Y-Flex with three receivers stacked to one side and a lone receiver running a deep outside vertical away from the trips. From the trips side, the inside receiver runs a hard inside post that breaks across the middle of the field, while the two outside receivers run stacked square-ins at different depths to hold underneath defenders and clear space for the post. The backside receiver runs a corner-breaking vertical that stresses single high safeties, making this a man beater at its core, with the post as the clear first read and the backside vertical as a big-play alert if the safety cheats toward the trips side.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check the safety depth and alignment since a single high safety shaded toward the trips side is the green light to trust the post all the way. Watch the cornerback over the post runner: if he is playing outside shade or press technique, the post should have a clean angle to break inside before the safety can get over the top. Post-snap, key the middle linebacker's drop, since a fast flow to the strong side opens a throwing lane behind him for the post, while a delayed or spot-dropping linebacker can sit in the window and jump the route. Watch for user-controlled safeties or lurking linebackers sitting in the intermediate middle zone, as this is the primary threat that can undercut the post before it clears. Cover 3 with a robber underneath or Cover 2 Man with a deep half safety funneling toward the post concept can shut this route down, so have your check-with-me eyes on the backside vertical if the coverage rotates hard to the trips call side.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing single high or two high safeties since this concept thrives against single high man coverage where the post can split the safety and the linebacker. If you see two high safeties rotating hard to the trips side, look immediately to the backside vertical for a one-on-one shot before the safety can rotate over. Use the square-ins as hot route checks against zone drops, sitting them down in the gap if you see zone matchups underneath. This play works best on second or third down medium distance situations where the defense expects a quick underneath throw and gets caught peeking at the shallow routes. Pair this call with Post Y Dig or Dagger from the same set to keep defenders guessing between post-based shots and dig-and-in combos, and sequence it after Levels Out or Stick calls so linebackers start sitting shallow and open up the post lane.
