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Breakdown
Slot Deep Corner out of Shotgun Y Off Trio Wk shows a trips look to one side with a deep corner route from the outside receiver on that side stemming vertically before breaking to the sideline. The inside slot receiver runs a deep dig cutting across the middle of the field, while the third receiver in the trio releases vertically then breaks inward on a deep in. The backside X receiver runs an outside release to a deep corner as well, and the running back releases from the backfield on a swing/flare route to the boundary to hold the underside defender. This is a man beater built around high low stress on the corner and safety with the deep corner and crossing dig, and the primary read progression starts with the deep corner route to the trips side, works to the dig sitting down in the void, then checks down to the running back on the flare.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, key the safety alignment on the trips side. A safety sitting deep and outside in a two high shell is keying the corner route and will jump the throw if thrown late. Check corner leverage: press man corners with inside shade struggle to recover on the outside breaking corner route, making this a strong man beater against man press. Post-snap, watch for a lurking linebacker or nickel defender sinking into the deep dig lane, since a zone defense with a robber underneath the trio can undercut the dig throw. If the defense brings a blitz off the edge or overloads the trips side, the running back flare route becomes the answer since the protection may not hold up on a five man rush. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender jumping the running back release can take away the checkdown, forcing the quarterback to hold the ball longer against the deep routes.
Usage Tips
Use this play on second and long or third and long when you need a chunk play off the trips side. Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing two high safeties or a single high shell, because a two high look tells you the deep corner route has room to work outside before the safety can rotate over. If you see man coverage with no safety help over the top of the trips side, throw the deep corner early on a rhythm timing throw before the corner route breaks. Against zone shells, work the deep dig from the slot since it sits down in the intermediate window created by the vertical stretch. Pair this play with Curls Combo or Quick Unders earlier in a series to condition the defense to sit on shorter routes, then hit this deep corner shot to capitalize on their aggressiveness. Use the running back flare as a checkdown against blitz looks when the corner and dig are both taken away downfield.
