Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Flood Divide is a three level flood concept out of Shotgun Trips TE Offset Wk that stresses one half of the field with vertical stacked routes while a divide route works away from the flood side. From the trips side, the inside receiver runs a deep out to the sideline, the middle receiver runs a corner route into the void behind it, and the outside trips receiver clears vertically on a go route to occupy the deep defender, creating a true high low low stretch. On the backside, the single receiver runs a shallow drag across the formation, giving you a built in man beater answer and a hot route versus pressure. This is a classic Cover 3 beater: read the flat to corner combination on the flood side first, then work back to the drag if the corner and flat defenders squeeze the sideline routes.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flat defender on the trips side after the snap. If he widens to the out route, the window for the corner route sitting behind him opens immediately. Key the deep third or deep half safety over the trips side. If he stays high and does not squeeze down on the corner route, this concept picks apart Cover 3 shells. Look for a linebacker or safety walked down as a lurk defender in the flood area. If he sits in the hook to curl zone, he can undercut the corner route and force the drag as the only answer. Diagnose man coverage by watching the outside cornerback mirror the go route on the vertical clear out. If defenders are trailing in man, the shallow drag on the backside becomes the highest percentage completion. Recognize overload blitzes off the edge on the flood side. A hot drag route on the backside gives you a built in answer if pressure arrives before the flood routes develop.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing single high or two high shell before the flood concept declares its full value against Cover 3 or Cover 1.
If the corner on the trips side is playing off and soft, target the deep out route first since it settles in front of zone corners for an easy completion.
Use the backside drag as your answer versus man coverage or when the flood side gets clouded by a robber or lurking linebacker.
Pair this play with Verticals or PA Flood from the same set to keep defenses honest, since the identical trips alignment disguises whether you are attacking deep or working the flood underneath.
On third and medium, this play punishes zone defenses that pattern match late, since the corner route sits in the seam between the flat defender and deep third player.
