Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Cheat Flood Divide is a Cover 3 beater out of Shotgun Trips TE that stacks three routes into a vertical flood on the trips side while the backside X runs a deep vertical to divide the safety. The trips side stacks a corner route, a flat/out route, and a deep dig that sits underneath, creating a high-low-hook flood against zone drops, while the backside vertical stretches the single-high safety to open the middle of the field. Pass protection is a standard five-man slide, so the primary read progresses from the deep corner route to the flat conversion route as the underneath defender widens, with the divide route on the backside serving as a hot alert if the safety cheats to the trips side.
Defensive Reads
Key the single-high safety before the snap, if he sits in the deep middle without rotating to the trips side, the corner route has a soft window versus Cover 3. Watch the flat defender's initial drop, if he sinks too deep trying to cover the corner route, the underneath flat conversion route is open for an easy pitch and catch. User the deep third defender on the trips side to take away the corner route, this forces the quarterback into the flat and dig combo which are lower value throws. Spy or blitz the underneath hook defender if you suspect the dig route sitting down, since that route works best against zone drops that vacate the middle. Watch for the backside safety cheating toward the flood, if he stays home to help on the divide vertical the trips side is playing three on two against the remaining defenders.
Usage Tips
Check pre-snap for a single-high safety shell, this play is built to punish Cover 3 and Cover 1 look because the corner route and flood underneath overload one side of the field while the backside vertical divides the safety's help.
If the defense shows two-high shell, work the trips side flood quickly since the flat route becomes the easy conversion versus a cover 2 cornerback sitting on the corner route.
Use motion pre-snap to identify man versus zone, if the defender follows across the formation you have a man beater window on the flat route immediately at the snap.
Pair this play with Flood Y-Delay or Cheat Clearout Seam in your play-calling sequence so the defense cannot key on the trips flood shell every time you break the huddle.
Best called on early downs or third and medium when you want a designed answer to zone drops without needing to hold the ball deep in your progression.
