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Quick Reference
Not in any team playbook.
Breakdown
SFT PA Curl Seam is a play-action pass out of Shotgun Trips X Nasty Off Wk that uses pre-snap motion to shift the box before the quarterback fakes the handoff. Off the play fake, the boundary receiver runs a deep seam that presses the safety while the trips side works a curl at the sticks combined with a corner route climbing to the deep third, and the outlet receiver settles on a quick flat/curl to the boundary as a checkdown against blitz. This is a play-action seam beater designed to attack zone drops and man coverage on the seam route, with the primary read progression starting on the deep seam against single-high shells before working back down to the curl and flat if the safety rotates over the top.
Defensive Reads
Read the safety depth before the snap since a single deep safety indicates Cover 1 or Cover 3, both vulnerable to the seam route splitting the hash. Watch the linebacker who has to respect the run fake, if he steps up hard on the play-action he opens a throwing window for the seam and curl. Man coverage defenders trailing the motion man across the formation confirm man principles, which favors the seam route winning vertically against a linebacker or nickel in coverage. Two-high safety shells with a defender sitting in the curl-to-flat zone will jump the underneath throws, so avoid forcing the ball into that area against Cover 2 or Cover 4. Disguised blitzes that bring an extra rusher off the edge can beat the protection quickly, so check for overloaded fronts and be ready to get the ball out on the flat route as a hot read.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify if the defense is playing man or zone based on whether a defender follows the motion man across the formation.
Attack single-high safety shells like Cover 1 or Cover 3 with the seam route since the play-action fake holds the linebackers and opens the throwing lane up the middle.
If you see two-high safeties, work the curl and flat combo underneath since the seam will be capped by a deep half defender.
Best called on second or third and medium since the play-action fake needs linebackers biting on early down run tendencies.
Pair this with SFT Inside Zone and HB Power earlier in a series so the play fake actually holds linebacker eyes, then dial up this seam shot to hit a defense sitting on the run.
