Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
SFT Mtn Stack PoCo lines up out of the stack on the left with a jet motion coming across before the snap, while the trio side to the right runs the post corner combo. The stacked receiver runs a deep corner route toward the sideline while his stack-mate on the inside runs a deep post that clears the middle. On the right, the trio releases with the outside receiver running a quick out and up into the corner and the inside slot receiver working a deep in-breaking crosser back toward the middle of the field, while the running back stays in to check release out of the backfield. This is a man beater built around the post corner combo on the left stack, using the motion to create leverage and natural picks against man coverage, with the crossing route underneath serving as a zone beater outlet against Cover 2 shells. The primary read starts with the corner route off the stack, works to the post if the corner defender jumps it, and comes back to the underneath crosser as the checkdown against zone drops.
Defensive Reads
Watch the safety alignment before the snap, a single high safety shaded toward the trio side signals Cover 3 or Cover 1 and tells you the post route off the stack has a one on one window. If both safeties sit deep at equal depth pre-snap, expect Cover 2 or Cover 4, and the underneath crosser becomes the higher value read since the corner route will be squeezed by the deep half defender. Track the cornerback aligned over the stack, if he bails deep at the snap it is likely zone and you should climb the ladder to the shorter in-breaking route, if he presses or mirrors the release it is man and the post corner combo has an advantage. Key the flat or curl defender on the trio side after the snap, a linebacker or slot defender sinking too deep opens the underneath crosser for an easy completion against zone drops. Beware of a disguised blitz where the slot defender crashes downhill at the snap, since that removes the checkdown option and forces a quicker decision between the corner and post routes off the stack.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone before the snap, if the defender follows the motion man across the formation it is almost certainly man coverage and you should key the post corner combo immediately.
Against Cover 2 shells, look to the underneath crossing route from the trio side since the flat and deep defenders on that side are stretched by the corner route occupying the sideline.
This play hits best on second and medium to long third down since it takes time to develop the deep corner and post routes off the stack.
Pair this play with SFT Mtn Stack Salem Y-Out or SFT Mtn Stack Shake N Up in the same set so the defense sees similar stack and motion action but has to respect different route breaks, keeping linebackers and safeties honest.
If the user controls a safety over the top and rotates late, throw the post route immediately before the safety can get over, since the corner route naturally clears out that defender.
