Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 16 playbooks
Breakdown
TE Spot Ohio out of Shotgun Wing Slot Offset gives you the classic Spot concept married to a vertical shot on the backside. The playside TE runs a quick flat route underneath while the outside receiver climbs the sideline on a corner route that sits down at 12-15 yards, creating the classic hi-lo spot combo against zone. Backside, one receiver runs a deep vertical up the numbers and the other cuts underneath on a short in-cut, while the inline TE fires off a quick out and up into the flat as a checkdown option. This is a Cover 3 beater built to attack the flat defender and hook zone defender simultaneously, with the primary read starting on the flat to corner combo before working backside to the vertical shot if the corner route clears out the deep defender.
Defensive Reads
Key the flat defender pre-snap and post-snap, since this play is designed to stretch that defender between the TE flat route and the corner route sitting behind him. Watch the hook or curl zone defender since the corner route settling at 12-15 yards is designed to sit in the window that defender vacates in Cover 3. If the defense shows two high safeties or Cover 4, expect the deep corner route to be capped, which means the quarterback should look underneath to the flat or backside in-cut immediately. Look for a user controlled linebacker dropping into the passing lane on the backside in-cut, since that route is vulnerable to a lurking defender reading the quarterback's eyes. Blitz packages that bring extra pressure off the edge can disrupt the timing needed for the corner route to develop, so check protection and be ready to hot route the TE into a quick release if you see nano blitz indicators pre-snap.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs or third and short since the flat to corner combo gives you a high percentage completion underneath if the corner route occupies the deep defender.
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing single high or two high safeties, since Cover 3 or Cover 1 shells are where this concept thrives against the flat defender getting stretched vertically.
If you see man coverage with the corner pressed on the outside receiver, hot route the flat route to a quick out or bump the corner route to a deep comeback to counter man coverage on the boundary.
Pair this with Double Cross or Double Pivot from the same set to keep the defense guessing between horizontal stretch concepts and crossing routes that attack the same underneath zones differently.
Watch for user defenders sitting in the flat or spying the TE, since that tips a jump on the underneath route and means you should progress quickly to the backside vertical or in-cut.
