Playbooks
Breakdown
Curl Flat out of Shotgun Trips TE lines up three receivers to the right with a solo receiver isolated left, who runs a go route to occupy the deep defender on the backside. On the trips side, the inside slot runs a deep dig breaking across the middle, the middle receiver runs a corner route stretching the deep third, and the outside receiver at the bottom sits down on a curl while the flat route underneath comes from the same trips grouping to attack the void created by the curl sitting down. The lone red route is a pass protection assignment, showing max protect or a blocker releasing late, which confirms this is a dropback pass with the QB reading the curl to flat combo first before working to the deeper dig and corner. Primary progression starts with the curl and flat flood on the trips side, then works to the deep corner if the flat is covered, making this a strong Cover 2 and Cover 3 beater.
Defensive Reads
Look for two deep safeties pre-snap indicating Cover 2, which invites the curl route to settle in the soft spot between the corner and the flat defender. Watch the flat defender's initial break at the snap: a linebacker or slot corner sinking too deep leaves the flat route wide open for an easy checkdown. Against Cover 3, the deep corner route occupies the deep third defender, so the middle of the field opens for the dig route working across the field on the second read. A user controlled defender lurking underneath in the curl zone is the biggest threat to this concept, so be ready to move to the corner route or backside go if that user closes the window. Man coverage with no help over the top on the corner route can get exposed if the trips receiver wins his release, but a well timed blitz off the edge with man coverage behind it can beat this play before the concept develops.
Usage Tips
Use this on second and medium to long third down situations where a defense expects a passing concept but you still want a high floor completion underneath.
Pre-snap, identify if the corner over the trips side is playing off or bailing into a deep third, since that tells you the curl will have room to sit down for an easy pitch and catch.
If you see two deep safeties, key the flat defender: if he widens fast the curl window opens immediately, if he sits the flat route is your answer against a hard curl squeeze.
Hot route the backside go route into a comeback against press man corners to give yourself a quick outlet without abandoning the trips concept entirely.
Pair this play with All Curl or Curls X Go in the same set to keep the defense guessing between full field curl flood and a curl flat isolation on one side.
