Playbooks
Packer Unders
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Packer Unders is a trips-based quick passing concept out of Shotgun Y Trips Wk that attacks the underneath zones with horizontal stretch. The backside X runs a vertical go route to hold the corner deep, while the trips side runs a drag from the outside receiver, a deep in from the slot, and the TE releases into a curl at the sticks. The HB checks release and works out to the flat as a fifth option, giving the QB a five man route concept with the offensive line in a standard pass protection look. This is a Cover 3 beater and man beater that reads high to low, starting with the curl and drag combo before working to the flat.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flow of the linebackers at the snap: if they sink into curl-flat zones and ignore the drag, that confirms zone coverage and the drag becomes the primary read. Key the strong safety alignment pre-snap: a safety shaded toward the trips side signals a possible Cover 3 rotation, which opens up the curl sitting behind the underneath defenders. If the cornerback on the backside X presses at the line, expect man coverage, which makes the drag and curl combination the highest percentage completions. Look for a user-controlled defender sitting on the drag route or spying the underneath crossers, since that lurk threat can jump the route and create a turnover. This concept struggles against a hard Cover 2 shell with underneath linebackers dropping into passing lanes, so check the safety depth before committing to the drag as your first read.
Usage Tips
Use this on second and medium or third and short since the drag and curl combo gets the ball out fast against underneath zone drops.
Check the middle of the field pre-snap: if it is open (MOFO) the curl route from the TE will settle in soft zone windows against Cover 3 or Cover 4.
Against man coverage, look immediately to the drag route crossing the field since it creates natural separation off linebacker traffic.
Hot route the HB to a flat route or check him into protection if you see a blitz look with more than four rushers showing pre-snap.
Pair this with Curls X Go or Levels Y Out from the same set to keep the defense guessing between similar route distributions with different depth shots.
