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Quick Reference
Not in any team playbook.
Breakdown
X Curl out of Shotgun Y Off Trips Close is a trips-side curl and flat combo paired with a backside dig and a single receiver vertical seam on the numbered route. The trips receivers run a deep curl at the top of the stack, a flat route settling underneath, and an inside receiver breaking into a shallow drag, while the backside X receiver climbs vertically up the seam as the primary read against man coverage. This is a zone beater on the trips side thanks to the curl-flat combo sitting defenders down, and the backside vertical route is your man beater answer if the cornerback is playing tight coverage.
Defensive Reads
Cover 3 with a hard flat defender can jump the flat route, so key the underneath zone drops before committing to that throw. If linebackers show blitz off the snap, the shallow drag becomes the quick outlet against pressure. Watch the backside cornerback depth, tight man coverage with no safety help over the top is where the vertical route wins. User-controlled lurk defenders sitting in the curl window can bait a turnover, so read their leverage before throwing the curl route. Cover 2 shells with safeties rotated over the top shut down the vertical shot but leave the curl-flat combo open underneath.
Usage Tips
Check the safety alignment pre-snap, if you see two high safeties the backside vertical route has room to work against off coverage.
Use the flat route as your first look versus zone to bait linebackers before coming back to the curl sitting behind them.
Motion the trips receivers to confirm man versus zone based on defender reaction, this tells you whether to prioritize the curl or the vertical route.
Combine this play with HB Power or Inside Zone from the same set to keep defenses honest on early downs before hitting X Curl on second or third down.
Pair with Whip Dig or Pats Cross in your play-calling sequence so the defense cannot sit on the curl-flat read every snap.
