Playbooks
Depth-chart slots are shown as they line up in the base package for this set.
| Player | Side | Route |
|---|---|---|
| HB1 | Left | Flat |
| TE2 | Right | Flat |
| WR1 | Left | Slant |
| WR2 | Left | Slant |
| TE1 | Right | Stick Option |
Slant Stick is a quick-hitting man beater built out of the Shotgun Wing Slot Offset WK set with 12 personnel on the field. The concept pairs a slant from the outside receiver with a stick route from the slot or wing tight end, giving the quarterback a fast horizontal read against tight man coverage or aggressive underneath zone drops. The primary progression starts with the slant, working to the stick route running to the flat or sitting at the sticks if the slant is taken away, and the design is meant to get the ball out in under two seconds to punish blitz looks.
Identify if the defense is showing man coverage with the corner aligned tight to the slant receiver, this is your green light to fire the slant immediately. Watch the flat defender or curl to flat zone defender, if he sinks under the stick route the slant window opens even wider. Key the middle linebacker's depth at the snap, a shallow drop signals zone and tells you to work the stick route as your first read instead. Beware of a user-controlled defender sitting in the shallow hook zone, this lurk threat can jump the slant route if the quarterback holds the ball too long. Against Cover 3 or Cover 4 shells with aggressive corners playing outside leverage, expect the slant to be undercut, so be ready to reset to the stick route or check down quickly.
Use this play on third and short or second and medium when you expect man coverage or a blitz look from the defense.
Pre-snap, check the corner over the slant receiver: if he is playing inside leverage or press man, the slant will win quickly off the line.
Hot route the stick runner into a quick out if you see a linebacker sitting directly in his path, this keeps the timing intact against zone drops.
Pair this play with Fk Slant Out or Double Smash in the same set so the defense has to respect both the slant window and the flat, forcing linebackers to hesitate on their drops.
Snap the ball quickly on this play call to take advantage of one-read RPO-style timing before a delayed blitz or disguised coverage can develop.