Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
22 Fade Stops out of Shotgun Y Off Trips Wk lines up trips to one side with a single receiver backside running a fade. The backside X runs a fade up the sideline against the lone cornerback while the trips side has the outside receiver run a comeback style stop breaking back to the quarterback, the middle trips receiver run a deep crosser through the field, and the inside slot receiver run a stop route sitting down underneath. This is primarily a man beater that isolates the backside fade on one on one coverage while the stop and comeback routes give the quarterback high percentage throws against off coverage or zone drops, with the deep cross serving as a clear out or checkdown against zone if the safety bites underneath.
Defensive Reads
Pre snap, identify if the defense is showing single high or two high safety shells, single high leaves the backside fade in a true one on one matchup that favors your receiver on a jump ball. Watch the backside cornerback leverage, if he is playing inside shade with no help the fade should be your first read off the snap. Post snap, key the flow of the underneath linebackers, if they widen out to the trips side stop routes it opens up the middle for the deep cross to work against man coverage. Man coverage without a robber or lurk defender in the shallow zone gets exposed by the stop and comeback combo since receivers will separate quickly on the break. Cover 2 or cover 4 shells with safeties sitting deep can take away the fade, look for the defense to roll a safety over the top which signals you should work the underdoor stop routes instead.
Usage Tips
Check the backside cornerback alignment before the snap, if he is playing off man or has no safety help over the top the fade is a shot play you should take immediately.
Use the stop route from the inside trips receiver as your rhythm throw on early downs since it creates instant separation against zone defenders sitting in shallow drops.
Hot route the deep crosser into a shorter option against tight man coverage if the linebackers are sitting in the shallow area since the crosser can get clogged by underneath defenders.
Pair this play with Bounce Slot Cross or Mtn Y Cross in the same set to keep the defense guessing between crossing routes and fade shots from the same trips look.
This play works best on second and medium or third and short since the stop and comeback routes give you a safe underneath answer if the fade is not open.
