Playbooks
Depth-chart slots are shown as they line up in the base package for this set.
| Player | Side | Route |
|---|---|---|
| HB1 | Left | Pass Block |
| TE2 | Right | Drag |
| WR1 | Left | Hitch |
| WR2 | Left | Deep Corner |
| TE1 | Right | Speed In |
Smash out of Shotgun Wing Slot Offset WK is the classic high low route combo built to attack corners playing outside leverage. The outside receiver runs a hard hitch or curl underneath while the slot or wing receiver clears out on a corner route behind him, creating a natural pick your poison for the flat defender and deep quarter defender. This is primarily a zone beater against Cover 2 and Cover 3 shells, and the primary read progression starts with the corner route to the boundary before working back down to the underneath hitch if the safety rotates over the top.
Pre-snap, identify whether the corner is aligned tight or with a cushion since a tight press corner is more vulnerable to the corner route beating him over the top. Check safety depth before the snap, a deep half safety cheating toward the boundary is a sign the defense anticipates the smash concept and will squeeze the corner route. Post-snap, watch the flat defender's first two steps, if he sinks under the hitch and widens for the corner route that is a sign of a sound Cover 2 and you should reset to the underneath option. Be alert for a user controlled safety sitting in a lurk position over the corner route, this is the biggest defensive answer to Smash and usually means you dump it down to the hitch route. Watch linebacker depth on drop back reads, a linebacker who bails deep quickly signals zone drops built specifically to jump the intermediate corner route and take away your best answer.
Look for two high safeties pre-snap since this smash concept punishes Cover 2 corners who sit low on the hitch and get beat over the top by the corner route.
If the defense shows Cover 3 with a single high safety, hot route the underneath receiver into a quick out or speed cut to give yourself a faster answer against the flat zone defender.
Use this play on second and medium to second and long when you have room to work the high low read without needing to force a checkdown into a short distance situation.
Pair Smash with Double Smash or Bounce Spot Curl in your play calling sequence so the defense cannot key on the same route stems every snap and has to respect both the flood side and the boundary side.
Against man coverage, target the corner route with a back shoulder throw since the receiver is working away from the leverage of most man corners jumping the underneath hitch.