Playbooks
Breakdown
Mtn Triple Slants aligns out of Shotgun Trips X Nasty with a jet motion man crossing before the snap into a swing/vertical release out the backside. At the snap the three trips receivers each break inward on slants at staggered depths, stacking the underneath zones from the numbers to the middle of the field while the lone backside receiver runs a vertical clear out to hold the corner or safety deep. This is a man beater built for quick rub concepts against off coverage, with the primary read progressing from the shortest slant at the line to the deepest slant working across the field.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flat defender assigned to the trips side pre-snap, if he is shaded outside expecting a bubble or screen the inside slant lanes will be wide open. Track the middle linebacker's depth at the snap, a shallow drop signals zone coverage and tells you to attack the void between the underneath zone and the deep third with the middle slant. If the defense shows a single high safety who bites on the trips motion, the backside vertical becomes a big play threat against a rotated coverage shell. Man coverage with no help over the top gets exposed by the natural rub created from the staggered slant depths, look for the defender trailing the motion man to confirm this. Nano blitz packages or overload pressure to the trips side can disrupt this timing based concept, so identify blitzing linebackers crashing off the edge before the snap and be ready to check into a quicker route or throw underneath immediately.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify if the defense is in man or zone, if the defender follows the motion man across the formation that confirms man coverage and opens up the slants for natural rub picks.
Key on the flat defender and the underneath linebackers before the snap, if they are sitting shallow the shortest slant will be taken away so progress immediately to the middle or deepest slant.
This play excels on 2nd and short to medium yardage where defenses expect run or a quick game concept, catching linebackers flat footed on their zone drops.
Hot route the backside vertical receiver into a quick out or drag if you see a single high safety rotating hard to the trips side, this removes a defender who could otherwise erase your clearout.
Pair this play with Mtn Stick Wheel or Mtn Slot Stick Nod from the same set to keep the defense guessing between quick slant patterns and wheel route shots off similar initial releases.
