Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Scat out of Shotgun Trips TE Flex is a five man route concept built to attack zone coverage with vertical stretches on both sides of the field. To the trips side the outside receiver runs a corner route while the two inside receivers work a quick out and shoot into an immediate hitch or curl in front of it, creating a high low read against the flat defender. Backside, the flexed TE releases up the seam on a vertical while the running back checks down into the flat, giving the quarterback a three level read from the corner route down to the flat if the underneath windows are clogged.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify the safety depth and rotation since a single high safety leaves the trips corner route in a soft spot against Cover 3. Watch the flat defender to the trips side, if he sits on the shallow out the corner route behind him should be open against zone drops. Key the middle linebacker's drop depth against the seam route from the flexed TE, a shallow drop or blitz look opens the seam immediately. Look for user controlled defenders sinking into the deep third or lurking in the curl to flat zone since that is the primary window this play attacks. Man coverage with a jam at the line on the trips receivers can disrupt the timing of the out and hitch combo, forcing the quarterback to hold the ball longer and expose him to pressure.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, check for two high shells since the corner route on the trips side wins big against single high safeties rotating late.
If the defense shows man coverage, hot route the shallow out to a slant or speed out to create separation off the line against tight press.
Use this on second and medium to third and short so the quick underneath route to the trips side is a safe checkdown if the corner is covered.
Pair this with Charger Wheel or Mtn Y Post from the same set so the defense has to respect verticals from multiple angles before committing to the underneath routes.
Against zone heavy defenses, progress read from the trips corner route to the seam vertical from the flexed TE, then work down to the RB in the flat as your last resort.
