Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
WR Smash out of Shotgun Trips Y-Flex pairs a corner route from the outside trips receiver with an underneath flat route from the inside slot man, forming the classic smash concept that stretches the sideline vertically and horizontally. Backside, the single receiver runs a deep corner route while the Y-Flex tight end works a deep in-cut from the numbers, giving you a two-way go against single high or two high shells. The running back releases into a flat route out of the backfield as a checkdown and screen-style outlet. Primary progression starts with the backside corner route against a single defender, then comes back to the trips side smash combo (corner over flat) if the backside is capped by a safety.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment: if both safeties are deep at 10-plus yards, this is a green light for the smash combo on the trips side. Watch the flat defender at the snap, if he sinks with the corner route or widens too far, the window for the corner throw opens immediately. Against Cover 3 or Cover 4, the backside corner route can get squeezed by a deep third or quarter defender, so be ready to reset to the trips smash combo. Look for user-controlled defenders jumping the flat route or corner route early, this signals man coverage and means the backside single receiver corner should win against unfavorable leverage. Nano blitzes or heavy pressure packages can disrupt the timing on both corner routes, so recognize free rushers pre-snap and be ready to get the ball out quickly to the HB flat or slide protection with hot routes.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing two high or one high safety look because that dictates which side of the field you attack first.
Against two high shells, work the trips side smash concept since the corner route naturally sits behind the flat defender and in front of the deep half safety.
Against single high or man coverage, take the backside corner route immediately since it isolates one defender on an island with no safety help over the top.
Use the HB flat route as your check-down against pressure or when both verticals are covered, especially on third and manageable downs.
Pair this play with Four Verticals or Dagger PoCo from the same set to keep the defense honest, then dial up WR Smash once you bait a safety into cheating toward the deep middle.
