Deep Flood aligns out of Shotgun Trips HB Wk with three receivers stacked to the trips side and the HB releasing into the boundary flat. The trips side runs a true flood concept: the outside WR pushes a corner route up the sideline, the slot runs a deep out that sits at the numbers, and the inner receiver releases to the flat underneath, stacking three levels vertically on that half of the field. The HB works an angle release out of the backfield to the opposite flat while the QB stays in the pocket behind a standard pass protection look, giving this the classic Cover 3 beater shape where the flood horizontally and vertically stretches a single deep third defender and the underlying zone defenders.

Defensive Reads

Identify the deep third defender to the trips side presnap, this play is designed to put him in a bind between the corner route and the deep out. Watch the flat defender or curl to flat linebacker, if he widens with the underneath flat route it opens a throwing lane for the deep out sitting behind him. Cover 3 and Cover 1 are the primary shells this beats since the single deep defender cannot cover the vertical stretch alone. Cover 4 and Cover 2 with two deep defenders to the trips side shut this down quickly, so check presnap safety alignment for two high shells before committing to the flood side. Man coverage with underneath help or a robber defender lurking in the middle of the field can also jump the deep out route if the QB stares it down, so read the linebacker depth and any user controlled defender sinking into that throwing window before pulling the trigger.

Usage Tips

Use this on early downs or third and medium when you expect single high safety looks since the flood concept is built to gash Cover 3 and Cover 1 defenses. Presnap, count the box and identify if the corner to the trips side is playing off or bailing early, that tells you the corner route will have room to work. If you see two high safeties rotating down to trips presnap, hot route the flat receiver into a quick option or check the HB release into a checkdown since the flood loses leverage against Cover 4 and Cover 2. Pair this call with Strong Flood or Flood Switch Fade later in the drive to keep the defense guessing on which side the vertical stretch is coming from. Against aggressive user blitzers, get the ball out on rhythm to the deep out since that route settles quickly and beats late-arriving underneath defenders.

Deep Flood

Quick Reference

In 4 playbooks

Receiver routes

Read progression

Breakdown

Defensive Reads

Usage Tips

Other Plays in Trips HB Wk