Playbooks
At a Glance
In 2 playbooks
Overview
Trips TE Flex Close WK is a compressed trips look out of Shotgun 11 personnel that stacks three receivers tight to one side with the tight end flexed just off the tackle, while the single receiver on the backside aligns close to the formation rather than split wide. The "Close" designation is what separates it from standard Trips TE sets: the reduced splits shrink the throwing lanes defenders have to cover but also shorten every route stem, meaning your quick game concepts hit faster and your crossers get clean releases instead of getting pressed at the line. The "WK" (weak) tag puts the trips side away from the strength call most defenses expect, which forces the defense to either flip their coverage strength pre-snap or live with an overloaded weak side.
Strengths
- Compressed splits create natural rub and traffic on Mtn Mesh Go's, Bounce Shallow Cross, and Mtn Mesh Rail, making this set one of the better man beater sets in the game because press defenders get picked off before they can reroute
- Return Sprint TE Screen, HB Slip Screen, and Mtn Fake Screen Wheel give you a three headed screen package that punishes aggressive edge pressure and user blitzers who abandon the flat
- RPO Read Bubble and Return RPO Alert Swing let you read the box count pre-snap: if the defense walks a safety down, hand it off on the zone read, and if they stay light in the box, throw the bubble to the trips side for easy chunk yardage
- Switch Dagger, Mtn Dagger, and Return Post Curl attack Cover 3 and Cover 4 by clearing the deep middle with the vertical stem, then dropping the dig underneath into vacated space
- Full zone run tree (Inside Zone, Mid Zone, Outside Zone, Same Side Zone, Bounce Inside Zone) plus HB Power off the same personnel keeps run and pass tendencies identical from the same alignment
Weaknesses
- Only one backside receiver aligned close means you have almost no true isolation route on the weak side, so if the defense rolls coverage to trips you lose your one on one matchup unless you motion or hot route the single receiver
- Compressed splits give edge rushers a shorter path to the quarterback, and A gap and B gap nano blitzes get home fast because your tight end is flexed off the tackle instead of attached for extra protection
- User-controlled linebackers sitting in the flat can jump Stick, Mtn HB Swing, and the bubble concepts because the reads are short and the ball comes out immediately
- 11 personnel with a flexed tight end limits power run pass protection, so max protect looks require hot routing the back to block and giving up a route
- Heavy trips alignments are a known tell in competitive play, and opponents will run pattern match Cover 3 or Cover 6 to the three receiver side to cap the vertical and deny the dagger dig window
Usage Tips
Read the safety count pre-snap on RPO Read Bubble and Return RPO Alert Swing: single high with a light box means run, two high with a stacked box means throw the read
On third and medium, run Stick or China Y-Shake and hot route the inside trips receiver to a slant so you have a built in man beater against blitz looks that leave the middle open
Use Return Sprint Comeback, Return Sprint Spot, and Return PA Deep Sail to move the pocket away from interior pressure, which neutralizes nano blitzes that overload one side of the line
Motion the backside receiver across the formation pre-snap to confirm coverage: if a defender travels with him it is man, and Mtn Mesh Go's or Bounce Shallow Cross becomes your best call
Mix Bounce Read Option and Bounce Inside Zone early to keep unblocked edge defenders honest, then hit Mtn Fake Screen Wheel or Return Sprint TE Screen once they start crashing hard
Against Cover 2 and Cover 4, Verticals and Shallow Slot Fade attack the sideline seams that compressed splits open up because defenders are aligned inside leverage
