Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Smash out of Shotgun Trips HB Wk is a classic Cover 2 beater built on the two-level flood concept to the trips side. The three receivers stacked to the right run a corner route from the outside man, a deep out breaking vertically then flattening from the middle slot man, and a quick hitch from the inner slot man, creating a high low read on the flat and deflector defenders. To the backside, the single receiver runs an out and up while the HB releases into the flat, giving the QB a built in checkdown or backside shot if the corner bites on the double move. The primary read progression starts with the corner route over the top of the hitch, works down to the deep out if the safety squats, and finishes with the flat and backside option if trips is capped.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify two deep safeties as a sign of Cover 2 or Cover 4, both of which this concept is built to attack through the flood to the trips side. Watch the flat defender, usually a linebacker or nickel corner, since the smash concept forces him to choose between the hitch and the flat route from the HB, leaving one open. Key the corner’s backpedal, if he sinks too deep on the corner route the underneath hitch and out will be wide open for an easy completion. Cover 3 with a hard corner squatting on the flat can take away the quick game, so be ready to climb the ladder to the corner route or deep out if you see the corner sit in the flat. Man coverage with no safety help over the top is where this play is most vulnerable, since a fast corner route can be undercut by a trailing defender if the QB does not throw with anticipation.
Usage Tips
Identify Cover 2 shells pre-snap by checking safety depth, this play is designed to attack the corner’s inability to cover both the flat defender and the corner route.
If you see press man on the outside trips receiver, hot route the slot hitch into a quick slant or speed out to beat the leverage instead of forcing the deep corner throw.
Use this play on second and medium to long when defenses sit in zone shells expecting a checkdown, since the corner route stresses the deep quarter or half defender.
Pair Smash with Verticals or Four Verticals earlier in a drive so the defense respects the deep middle threat, then come back to Smash to isolate the numbers advantage on the boundary.
Against aggressive user linebackers who jump the flat, hold the ball a beat and let the deep out or corner route develop since the flat defender vacating opens a throwing lane underneath.
