Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Stick N Up runs out of Shotgun Y Off Trio Wk with a three man bunch to the strong side and a single receiver to the weak side. The bunch releases a deep vertical up the numbers from the outside X, a quick out breaking flat route underneath, and a stick style hook that sits down in the middle read zone, while the backside single receiver runs a shallow crossing route underneath everything. This is a classic Stick concept married to a vertical shot, giving you a built in zone beater with the stick and flat combo underneath and a man beater shot play over the top with the go route. Primary read progression starts with the vertical go route to see if you get a one on one shot deep, then works down to the stick sitting in the hook/curl zone, and finally checks the flat and the underneath crosser as your safety valve outlets.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and shell; a two high shell with corners playing off suggests zone drops underneath, which favors sitting the stick route down before the linebackers can wall it off. If you see a single high safety with tight man coverage on the outside receivers, expect the go route to be the primary shot, so as the defense you need to bail your corner immediately at the snap to avoid getting beat over the top. Watch the flat defender and the underneath crosser; if a user controlled defender jumps the flat route early, that opens a window for the stick sitting behind him, so linebackers need to stay disciplined in their hook/curl drop rather than jumping the shallow stuff. Nano blitzes and inside pressure packages can rush the quarterback's first read (the go route) off the play, so if you are calling this on offense against a known blitz heavy opponent, be ready to check down quickly to the stick or the crossing route rather than forcing the deep ball. Man coverage with no safety help over the top is the biggest liability defensively against this play since the go route can turn into a big play if the corner is beat off the line.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify if the safety over the trio side is showing single high or two high because that tells you if the deep go route has a realistic window or if it is just a clear out route. Against man coverage, key on the cornerback's alignment on the outside receiver; if he is playing tight press you can hot route the go to a slant or peel it off entirely and lean on the stick and flat combo instead. Against zone shells, use the stick as your first read since it settles in the hole between the underneath zones and is very difficult for a linebacker to cover in isolation. This play pairs well with Four Verticals and Deep In from the same set since it looks identical pre-snap and forces the defense to respect the vertical shot every time, setting up the stick sit route as a high percentage completion later in the drive. Use this on third and medium or in two minute situations where you want a quick decision route (stick) as a safety net but still want to keep the deep shot alive if the defense sells out on the underneath stuff.
