Playbooks
Mtn Drag Sluggo is a man beater built off the Shotgun Trips X Nasty Offset WK set that uses pre-snap motion to help identify man versus zone before the ball is even snapped. The concept pairs a sluggo route (slant and go) from the outside receiver with an underneath drag crossing the formation, creating a high low stretch on any defender playing off leverage or trailing in man coverage. Primary read progression starts with the sluggo route for the explosive shot if the corner bites on the slant fake, then works down to the drag as the safety valve versus tight man coverage or if the deep shot is not there.
Watch the corner over the sluggo receiver during pre-snap motion, if he mirrors the motion man tightly you are looking at man coverage and the double move should win. Check single high safety alignment, one deep safety in the middle of the field usually signals Cover 1 or Cover 3, both of which can be attacked if the corner sells out on the slant fake. Post-snap, key the flat defender and any user controlled linebacker dropping to the drag route, a sit and squat technique here means the underdneath route will be covered and you should climb the pocket for the sluggo. Look for a lurking defender sitting in the middle of the field on zone drops, this indicates Cover 3 or Cover 4 and the drag concept will get sat on, forcing a check down or scramble read. Beware of overload blitz packages from the offset side, if the protection is not adjusted with a hot route or chip, the sluggo route timing will be disrupted before it fully develops.
Use the pre-snap motion to confirm man coverage, if the defender follows the motion man across the formation you have a green light to trust the sluggo route.
Take your shot on the sluggo early in the down and distance count, this play is built for chunk yardage on first or second and long once you have established the drag underneath.
If the corner shows off man leverage at the snap, hot route the sluggo receiver to break the route faster or move directly to the drag read since the double move needs cushion to work.
Pair this play with Mtn Triple Slants and Quick Short Post from the same set so defenders start jumping short routes, then hit them with Sluggo for the deep shot on a copycat formation look.
Avoid calling this against known Cover 3 sink or Cover 4 shells with deep safeties reading the sluggo stem, it performs best against Cover 1 and Cover 0 man pressure looks.