Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Cheat Strong Flood is a trips-based flood concept run out of Shotgun Y Trips Wk that puts three receivers into the same vertical stretch to overload a cornerback and safety on one side of the field. The backside receiver runs a vertical stem up the numbers as a clear-out or check down option, while the trips side stacks a corner route, a deep out sitting at the sideline, and an underneath flat/drag route to flood all three levels of the zone. This is a classic Cover 3 beater that stretches the flat defender and deep third defender horizontally, and the primary read progression starts with the corner route on top, works down to the deep out breaking outside, then settles on the flat route underneath if the zone rotates hard.
Defensive Reads
Watch the single high safety at the snap, if he stays deep middle you are likely facing Cover 3 and the flood should isolate the flat defender. Key the cornerback aligned over the flood trips, a jump on the deep out or corner route with no help behind him signals man coverage and you can bait him underneath. Identify the flat or hook defender's drop depth, if he sinks with the deep out he is playing pattern match zone and the underneath flat route becomes the answer. Look for a user-controlled defender lurking in the underneath zone, this play struggles against a rover sitting in the flat since it clogs the shortest route in the progression. Beware Cover 4 or two high safety shells rotating hard to the trips side, that numbers advantage removes the vertical stretch and forces you to check down to the backside route immediately.
Usage Tips
Call this on third and medium to third and long when you expect single high safety looks because the flood stresses the deep third defender who has to choose between the corner and the out.
Check the cornerback depth pre-snap: if he is playing off and soft, throw the deep out early before the zone can rotate over the top.
Use the backside vertical route as a hot route conversion to a slant or drag against man coverage to give yourself a quick answer if the trips side gets jumped.
Pair this with Curls X Go or Fl Dig from the same set to keep defenses guessing between high flood shots and intermediate combo routes out of the same personnel and formation look.
Motion the flanker before the snap to diagnose man versus zone, if the defender follows across the formation you know you are getting a man beater matchup on the flood side.
