Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Curls out of Shotgun Trips Y-Flex is a five man protection concept with three levels of hi lo curl routes to give the quarterback a full field progression against zone coverage. The backside single receiver runs an outside release curl that sits down at the sticks, the Y-Flex tight end works a corner breaking route up top, and the trips side has the number one receiver running a shallow drag under while number two runs a curl that hooks back to the QB. This is primarily a zone beater built to attack soft spots between linebacker and safety zone drops, with the QB progression reading trips side curl to backside curl to the tight end corner route as the checkdown or shot option.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check linebacker depth: if linebackers are sitting shallow near the line of scrimmage, they can jump the curl routes and undercut the throw, so look for the corner route as your outlet instead. Watch safety rotation post-snap, since Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells leave natural windows for the curl routes to settle into, while Cover 2 with an active flat defender can squeeze the trips side curl. Be wary of a user controlled linebacker sitting in the middle hook zone, as this is the classic lurk spot that jumps the drag route or undercuts the curl before it settles. If you see man coverage from cornerbacks with no zone match principles, expect the curls to get picked off quickly by trailing defenders, so hot route into a flat or quick out to counter. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge can pressure this play fast since it relies on a five man protection scheme, so identify overload blitzes pre-snap and consider sliding protection or using a quick checkdown to the backside curl.
Usage Tips
Use this on second and medium to second and long when defenses are more likely to sit in zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4.
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing two high safeties or one high, since curls settle into soft spots that two high zones leave open underneath.
Hot route the backside curl receiver into a flat route if you see man coverage with no underneath help, this turns your zone beater into a quick man beater against Cover 1 or Cover 3 sky looks.
Pair this play with Four Verticals from the same set to keep defenses honest, since both plays start with similar route stems before the routes diverge, making it harder for defenders to jump the curl route early.
On third and medium, prioritize the trips side curl as your primary read since it settles quickest into the sticks and gives the QB a rhythm throw before the pocket collapses.
