Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn Slot Curls comes out of Shotgun Trips HB Wk with the outside trips receiver running a jet motion across the formation before the snap, which forces the defense to declare man or zone coverage early. Post snap, the trips side shows a curl from the inner slot receiver sitting down around 10-12 yards, a shorter curl from the middle trips receiver breaking off around 6 yards, and the outermost trips receiver running a curl route into the flat area at the sticks depth, while the HB releases into the boundary on a checkdown option out of the backfield. This is a zone beater at its core, using the pre-snap motion to identify soft spots in zone coverage and settle receivers into throwing lanes underneath and intermediate, with the primary read progression starting at the deepest curl, working down to the middle curl, and finishing with the HB checkdown if the curls are covered.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment over the trips side, if both safeties sit deep at 10-plus yards you are likely facing a two-high shell that opens up the curl windows underneath. Watch the flat defender's reaction to the jet motion, if he widens out to carry the motion man it opens a natural throwing lane to the shorter curl route. Post-snap, identify any user-controlled defender sitting in the underneath hook zone since a lurking linebacker or nickel can jump the middle curl route and create a turnover opportunity. This concept struggles against aggressive Cover 3 sky or Cover 4 match zones where the flat defender and hook defender squeeze the curl windows tightly, forcing you to hold the ball longer. Man coverage with inside leverage on the slot defenders can undercut the curl breaks, so look for a defender playing tight man technique pre-snap and consider hot routing to a speed out or corner instead.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to bait linebackers and safeties into showing their hand, if the defender follows the motion man it is almost certainly man coverage and you should snap immediately to attack before the defense resets.
Against zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4, let the curls sit down in the soft spots between the underneath and deep zones, do not rush the throw since the routes are designed to work off timing.
Hot route the outside trips receiver into a deeper dig or corner route if you diagnose Cover 2 pre-snap, since the natural curl depth sits right in the flat defender's lane.
This play works best on second or third and medium situations where the curl depth matches the sticks, giving you a high percentage completion with YAC potential.
Pair this play with Mtn Slot Cross or Curl Slot Dig from the same set to keep the defense guessing between curl breaks and crossing routes, both use similar pre-snap motion so your play-calling tendencies stay disguised.
