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Breakdown
TE In Slot Fade out of Shotgun Trio lines up with a bunched trio to the left and a single receiver to the right. The backside X runs a fade down the sideline while the two inside receivers run a stutter out and a corner route to clear space underneath. On the strongside, the TE runs a shallow in that crosses the field and the outside X releases vertical up the numbers, with the RB checking down into the flat as a swing option after a chip. This is a man beater built on the TE's crossing in route creating natural separation against man leverage, while the vertical routes on both sides stress deep zone defenders and hold the safeties, making it a solid answer against both Cover 1 and Cover 3 if you read it right. Primary progression starts with the TE in route as the underneath rhythm throw, then works to the backside fade for the big play, and checks down to the RB in the flat as the safety valve.
Defensive Reads
Watch the slot cornerback's depth at the snap, if he is playing off with outside leverage the TE in route will have a clean throwing lane underneath. Key the single high safety to determine if this is Cover 1 or Cover 3, since a rotating safety to the fade side signals zone drops that could jump the in route. Look for the strongside linebacker's initial drop, if he sinks too deep on the snap the TE in route will sit right in his vacated window for an easy completion. Beware of a user lurk defender spying the shallow crossing routes, since a smart human defender sitting in the TE's lane can jump the throw for a pick six. This play struggles against press man across the board combined with a robber safety underneath, since the fade needs a clean release and the in route loses its space if the robber sits at the sticks.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing man or zone based on cornerback depth and linebacker positioning over the TE's alignment in the slot. If you see single high safety or press man on the outside X, the backside fade becomes a live shot play, so consider peeking there first if you have a size mismatch. Use the TE in route as your rhythm throw against zone coverage since it will find soft spots between the underneath zone and the linebacker level. Hot route the RB to a flat route or keep him on the check release depending on whether the defense shows blitz, since he is your last line safety valve versus pressure. Pair this play with Steeler Dig or Flanker Dig from the same set to keep defenders guessing on whether the TE breaks in short or works vertically, and sequence it after Verticals or PA Deep Attack to set up defenders biting on the shallow in route.
