Playbooks
Corner Strike is a man beating concept out of Shotgun Wide Trips HB WK that attacks the boundary and the trips side with corner routes designed to work against off man and single high looks. The trips receivers work a combination of a corner route, a dig, and an underneath option while the backside X runs an isolated corner or fade to hold the safety, and the HB releases into a check down or flat route as a checkdown against pressure. Blocking is a standard five man protection with the HB sliding to the weak side, and the primary read progression starts with the trips side corner route, moves to the underneath dig or option route if the corner is taken away, and ends with the backside isolation route or the HB check down against the blitz.
Identify single high safety pre-snap, this tells you the corner route from trips has a favorable one on one matchup against most man coverages. Watch the flat defender and curl to flat zone defender post-snap, if they sink hard to take away the underneath option route the deep corner window opens up. Key the backside cornerback leverage, if he is playing inside shade the isolation corner route to the X receiver has a clean release outside. Beware of Cover 3 with a hard flat defender jump and a deep third corner sitting on the boundary route, this shell can bait a throw into a passing lane. Look for user controlled defenders sitting in the deep half or playing a lurk technique in the middle of the field, they can undercut the dig or option route if the quarterback holds the ball too long.
Use this on second and long or third and medium when you need a chunk play against man coverage or a single high safety look.
Check the cornerback alignment before the snap, if you see off man or a corner playing outside leverage the corner route from trips will win over the top.
Hot route the HB to a flat route or check release into protection if the defense shows a heavy blitz look with six or more defenders near the line.
Pair this play with Quick Slants or Stick from the same set to set up defenders expecting the deeper corner shot, then come back to Corner Strike once the defense starts jumping short routes.
Against two high safety shells, prioritize the backside isolation corner or fade since the deep half defender will have more ground to cover on the trips concept.