Playbooks
Curls X Post out of Shotgun Wide Trips HB WK is a pure passing concept built to attack zone coverage with a curl and post combination on the trips side while the backside receiver runs a complementary route to stretch the field horizontally. The trips side curl routes settle into the soft spots against zone drops, while the X receiver's post route works behind the curls to hit the middle of the field once safeties bite on the shallow routes. This is a zone beater at heart, with the primary read progression starting at the shortest curl route, working up through the intermediate curl, and finally to the post if the safety vacates the middle of the field or bites on the underneath routes.
Identify single high safety alignment pre-snap, since this tells you the post has a clear driving lane if the linebackers or nickel defender bite on the curls Watch the middle linebacker's depth and drop angle after the snap, since a shallow drop opens up the post route immediately behind him Cover 3 sink from the deep corners can be a problem for the post route, so if you see three deep defenders rolling to that shell, expect the window to close quickly User controlled lurk defenders sitting in the middle of the field are the biggest threat to this concept, so bait them with pump fakes toward the curl before committing to the post Man coverage with no safety help over the top is the best case scenario for this play, since the post route can win against most man corners once it clears the underneath traffic
Check pre-snap for two high safeties, since a single high safety alignment tells you the post route has a much better chance to split the defense
Use motion or a hot route on the HB to check for man coverage, and if you see man match up on the trips receivers, look to the post route immediately instead of working through the curls
This play shines on second and long or third and medium situations where zone drops naturally create soft spots between the curl and post levels
Pair this play with Stick or Quick Slants earlier in a drive to condition the defense into sitting on shorter routes, then hit Curls X Post to attack over the top with the post
If you see Cover 3 or Cover 4 shells, prioritize the deep curl sitting on the numbers before working the post, since sinking corners can undercut the post route in those shells
Combine this call with Levels in your play-calling sequence to give you both a high low read and a horizontal stretch option depending on what the defense shows