Playbooks
Depth-chart slots are shown as they line up in the base package for this set.
| Player | Side | Route |
|---|---|---|
| HB1 | Left | Flat |
| WR3 | Right | Deep Cross |
| WR1 | Left | Corner |
| WR2 | Right | Deep In |
| TE1 | Right | Block and Release Flat |
Slot Cross out of Shotgun Wing Trips WK is a man beater built around a deep crossing route from the slot receiver that works horizontally across the field to create natural separation against trailing defenders. The trips side runs a combination of a shallow drag and vertical stem to hold underneath defenders and clear space for the crosser, while the backside receiver runs a corner or dig to occupy a safety over the top. The primary read starts with the deep cross working from the numbers toward the opposite hash, and if that route is walled off by a linebacker or safety in the middle of the field, work back to the underneath drag or the backside dig as your checkdown progression.
Man coverage with no safety help over the middle is the ideal shell for this play, since the deep cross will consistently beat man defenders who have to change direction and fight through the trips traffic. Watch for a robber or lurk defender sitting in the middle of the field in zone coverage, because a user controlled safety sinking under the cross can jump the throw and turn it into a pick six. Cover 3 with a hard sink from the middle linebacker will squeeze the throwing window on the crosser, so key the MIKE depth at the snap and be ready to check down to the shallow drag if he sits in that lane. Blitz packages that bring pressure off the edge without accounting for the trips side can be exploited since the crosser and drag combo give the quarterback a quick answer against man beaters underneath before the rush arrives. Cover 2 shells with press corners on the outside can disrupt the timing of the trips releases, so if you see two deep safeties and physical press technique, expect the crosser to get rerouted and lean on the backside dig or corner instead.
Look for man coverage indicators pre-snap like tight press alignment on the trips receivers or a single high safety shaded toward the trips side, since the deep cross thrives when defenders have to fight through traffic in man.
Use motion or a quick glance at the linebacker depth to confirm if there is a MIKE or WILL sitting in the throwing lane of the crosser, and if so, be ready to hitch up in the pocket to buy the extra tick needed for the route to clear.
Hot route the backside receiver into a deep dig or post if you diagnose two high safeties rotating away from the crosser, giving you a second vertical shot instead of settling for the checkdown.
Pair this play with Four Verticals or 619 Sail earlier in a series so defenses respect the vertical stems from Wing Trips WK, which opens up the intermediate crossing window on Slot Cross when they start jumping the deep routes.
This is a strong second and long or third and medium call since it takes a beat to develop, so avoid it on obvious pass rush downs unless you have a play-action shell like PA Power Y Pop mixed in to slow the rush.