Playbooks
Curl Flat out of Shotgun Wing Trips WK Nasty Mug is a zone beater that attacks the underneath and intermediate levels with a classic high-low combination on one side of the field. The concept pairs a curl route sitting down at 12 to 15 yards with a flat route working underneath it, creating a natural conflict for the flat defender or curl/flat zone player, while the trips side and backside receivers occupy deep zones and man coverage to prevent help. The primary read starts at the curl, working the leverage of the underneath defender: if he sinks into the curl window, work down to the flat for the easy pitch and catch, and if he jumps the flat, come back to the curl sitting behind him.
Pre-snap, check the depth of the underneath defenders and the cornerback over the trips side, since a defender sitting shallow with outside leverage signals he is keying the flat and will jump it immediately at the snap. Watch for two deep safeties splitting the field evenly, which usually means Cover 2 or Cover 4 and leaves the curl flat combo in a soft spot underneath since those coverages leave the intermediate zone vulnerable to the curl sitting down. If you see a single high safety rotating late with man coverage principles underneath, such as Cover 1 or Cover 3 man variants, expect the flat defender to trail in man and the curl to face tight coverage from a linebacker or nickel defender, which shuts this play down quickly. Post-snap, key the flat defender's first two steps, since if he sinks to take away the curl, the flat route is open immediately for the checkdown, and if he squats on the flat, the quarterback needs to reset eyes to the curl window behind him. Be alert for a user-controlled linebacker or safety sitting in the curl window, commonly known as a lurk defender, since he can bait the quarterback into throwing the curl and jump the route for a pick if the read is not disciplined.
Use this play on second and short to medium third down situations where a quick underneath completion keeps the chains moving without forcing you into a low-percentage deep shot.
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing zone by checking linebacker depth and cornerback cushion; if you see soft zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4, this play is a great call since the curl flat combo sits right in the seams of those zones.
Against man coverage looks, hot route the flat defender's man into a quick out or check the play at the line since curl flat loses some effectiveness when defenders can trail routes instead of sitting in zones.
Pair this call with All Curls or Four Verticals from the same set to keep defenders honest, since if the defense starts jumping the flat route hard after seeing this on tape, you can hit the curl route or bait a jump for the deep shot.
Use the flat route as a checkdown against pressure looks, especially when you diagnose a nano blitz or overload blitz pre-snap, since the flat gets the ball out quickly and neutralizes the rush before it develops.