Playbooks
Stick out of Shotgun Trey Y Iso is a classic Stick concept built to attack zone coverage with quick, high percentage throws. The trips side runs the stick combo with a flat route, a hitch or stick route, and a corner or flat route stacked on top of each other, while the isolated Y receiver runs a dig or option route to hold the backside defender. This is a zone beater at its core, though the quick timing throws also give it man matchup value against linebackers in coverage, and the primary read starts with the flat defender to determine whether to work the stick or peel outside to the flat.
Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if the underneath defenders are sitting shallow they are likely keying the stick route and will jump the throw. Identify Cover 3 shells by checking for three deep defenders and a single high safety, this leaves the flat and stick combo wide open underneath. Beware of Cover 2 man or man match coverages where the flat defender can carry the flat route vertically, this can bait a bad throw into the stick route. Look for a user controlled linebacker sitting in the shallow hole or spying the quarterback, a lurking defender in that area will jump the stick route and create a turnover. Against blitz packages, check if the flat route releases clean immediately, since a hot blitz off the edge means the flat route becomes your first read instead of the stick.
Read the flat defender first, if he sits on the flat route the stick sitting behind him is open for an easy pitch and catch.
Use this on third and short to medium since the stick route settles in soft spots against zone and the flat route is a built in checkdown against pressure.
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing two high or single high, since Stick against Cover 3 or Cover 2 zone gives you easy access to the flat and stick combo.
Hot route the backside Y receiver into a quick out or speed out if you need a faster answer against man coverage, this turns Stick into a more balanced man and zone beater.
Pair this play with Four Verticals and Deep Post in the same set to keep defenders honest, once you have hit Stick a few times underneath, defenses will bite on the shallow throws and open up the deep shots.