Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Slant Stick lines up out of Shotgun Wing Flex Offset Wk with 12 personnel, showing two receivers stacked to the left running slants that stem across the field, a middle route working underneath as a check-down option, and a stick route on the right side that sits down in the flat area after breaking outward off the line. The tight end or attached receiver on the right runs a vertical release into a corner breaking route, giving width to the stick concept. This is a man beater built around the slant-stick combo, using natural picks from the crossing slants to shake coverage while the stick route gives an easy answer against blitz or man pressure. Primary read starts with the stick route to the flat, then works to the slants working across the middle, with the check-down underneath as the last resort.
Defensive Reads
Watch for linebackers sitting in shallow zone drops since they can jump the stick route if it is not hot routed properly. Identify Cover 2 shells pre-snap since the corner playing the stick side flat can undercut the route if he stays deep in his zone drop. Look for blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge, since the stick route becomes the quick answer against man pressure. Man coverage with no safety help over the top on the slants can be exploited due to natural rub routes creating separation. Zone defenses with linebackers spying the middle can shut down the crossing slants, so check if the middle linebacker widens or stays home before committing to that read.
Usage Tips
Use this play on early downs or third and short since the stick route provides a quick underneath answer if the defense brings pressure.
Check safety alignment before the snap: if you see two high safeties, favor the slants working across the middle since it usually means single coverage on the outside.
Hot route the stick route into a flat route if you see man coverage with no underneath help, since it clears out fast against zone hooks.
Pair this play with RPO Peek Slant or RPO Zone Peek in your call sheet to keep the defense guessing between run and pass looks off similar formations.
Look to attack Cover 3 sink zones with the crossing slants since the natural picks create separation against linebackers dropping into shallow zones.
