Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Quick Unders is a trips-side quick game concept built to get the ball out fast against pressure and man coverage. The three trips receivers run a shallow drag underneath a deep dig, with the outermost receiver working an in-breaking under route that sits right behind the drag, creating a natural rub and layered crossing pattern in front of the linebackers. The backside single receiver runs a vertical release to occupy the corner, while the HB releases into the flat as a checkdown outlet on the blue route, giving the quarterback a five-step drop and quick progression from the shallow drag to the underneath crosser to the HB flat route.
Defensive Reads
Key the flow of the middle linebacker at the snap since he has to decide between sinking to the drag or the deeper crosser, and a slow read there is your window to attack. Watch for user controlled defenders sitting in the shallow crossing lane, as this is the most common way to jump the underneath routes and bait a turnover. If the defense shows Cover 3 with a sky safety, expect the corner to jump the flat route to the HB, so key the underneath drag as your primary answer. Man coverage with no safety help over the trips bunch is the green light to trust the rub concept, since the drag and under routes are designed to create natural separation off contact at the line. Zone blitzes with five or six man pressure and a spy on the crossers will bracket the shallow routes, so recognize the extra rusher pre-snap and be ready to check to the HB flat route immediately.
Usage Tips
Fire this out of shotgun on early downs or third and short since the routes hit almost immediately off the snap and punish blitz-heavy defenses.
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing man coverage with corners in the trips bunch since the rub concept created by the drag and under route will spring someone open against man.
If you see a two high shell with soft zone underneath, hot route the backside vertical into a hitch or slant to speed up the timing against a defense that will sit on the crossers.
Use the HB flat route as your built in checkdown against blitz looks, especially if you diagnose a nano blitz or user blitz pre-snap since it gets the ball out before the rush arrives.
Pair this play with Dig Cross or Bounce Slot Cross from the same set to keep the defense guessing between the shallow drag concept and deeper crossing routes, forcing linebackers to respect multiple crossing angles.
