Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Curls out of Shotgun Trips is a five man protection pass play built around a three level curl concept to the trips side. The backside X runs a vertical up route to hold the corner and safety, the two inside trips receivers push to the sticks and settle into curls at intermediate depth while the outside trips receiver runs a flat route underneath, and the number two trips receiver clears vertically before working back to the middle of the field. The blocking scheme keeps the running back in to protect, making this a pure dropback zone beater designed to attack soft spots between the linebackers and underneath zone defenders, with the primary read starting on the inside curl to trips, then working outside to the flat, and coming back backside to the vertical if the middle is clogged.
Defensive Reads
Watch for two high safeties pre-snap, since this indicates zone coverage where the curl windows will be most exploitable underneath. If you see man coverage indicators like a single high safety with corners in press alignment, expect the offense to convert the curls into comebacks or hitches against your cornerbacks. As the defense, sit your linebackers at the sticks and squeeze the throwing lanes to the inside curl, this is the first read the quarterback will attack. Disguise a underneath zone blitz or nano blitz to collapse the pocket before the quarterback can progress through his curl to flat read, since the play holds the ball longer due to route depth. User a linebacker to the trips side hook zone and sink with the inside curl route, this take away the primary read and force a difficult throw to the flat or backside vertical.
Usage Tips
Use this on second and medium to third and long when defenses are more likely to sit in zone coverage and give you soft curl windows.
Check the middle linebacker depth pre-snap, if he is sitting shallow in a hook zone the inside curl will be contested so be ready to progress to the flat or backside vertical.
Hot route the backside X to a comeback or hitch against man coverage if you see the corner playing tight press, since the curls concept is naturally stronger versus zone.
Pair this play with Four Verticals or 60 Go from the same trips look to keep defenses honest against the deep middle before coming back to Curls to exploit sitting linebackers.
Combine with Stick or Slant Spacing in the same drive to condition the defense to expect quick game, then hit the curls when linebackers start jumping underneath routes.
