Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Dragon Stick lines up in Shotgun Trips HB Wk with a bunched three man side to the left and a two man side to the right. The trips side runs the classic stick concept: the inside receiver sits at the sticks, the middle man drags across the shallow flat, and the outside receiver breaks off a corner style route back toward the sideline off the stick fake, creating a natural pick and rub against man coverage. To the boundary, the slot runs a vertical seam that bends into a corner while the outside receiver runs a flat route underneath, giving the quarterback a two way stretch on that side as well. This is a stick concept pass play designed to attack both man and zone coverage with layered spacing, and the primary read progression starts with the trips side stick to flat, then works to the backside seam to corner if the underneath windows are taken away.
Defensive Reads
Pre snap, identify if the defense shows two deep safeties or a single high look, since Dragon Stick's layered stick concept exploits zone defenders who have to cover both the flat and the stick route with one body. Watch the flat defender on the trips side, if he sinks too deep to cover the drag, the stick route sitting at the sticks becomes wide open for an easy completion. Key the backside safety over the seam to corner route, if he bites on the seam threat the flat route underneath becomes the checkdown against Cover 3 or Cover 4 shells. This play struggles against tight man coverage with underneath linebacker spies since the pick concept can be jumped by a disciplined nickel or slot defender playing inside leverage. Look for a user controlled defender flashing into the shallow drag lane, since a lurking spy or robber technique in the middle of the field can undercut the crossing route and bait a turnover.
Usage Tips
Check the trips side pre snap for man coverage indicators like a corner shaded outside with no safety help, since the pick action from the stick and flat combo creates natural separation against man defenders.
If you see a two high shell, work the stick concept quickly to the flat and shallow drag before the safeties can rotate down and take away the underlying spacing.
Hot route the backside outside receiver into a quick out or slant against aggressive corner blitzes since the flat route alone may not clear fast enough versus a five or six man rush.
Use this play on third and short to medium since the stick route sits right at the sticks and the drag gives a built in checkdown against zone drops.
Pair Dragon Stick with Deep Stick or All Curl from the same set to keep the defense guessing on stick concepts, then mix in Four Verticals or Zona Fade once you see linebackers jumping the shallow routes.
