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Quick Reference
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Breakdown
Curl Flat Corner is a three level stretch out of Singleback Ace Slot 12 personnel that isolates the boundary and attacks the flat, curl, and corner zones simultaneously. The inline TE on the line runs a quick flat route, the outside receiver on that side stems into a curl, and the backside X on a reduced split fires a deep corner route while the slot receiver runs a deep crossing route to the opposite sideline. The HB stays in to help protect or checks release into the flat area underneath, giving the quarterback a clean high low read starting with the flat to curl combo before working to the corner as the deep shot. This is a Cover 2 and Cover 3 beater built to attack the flat defender and the deep quarter or third defender at the same time.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flat defender at the snap, if he jumps the TE's flat route the curl route sits down right behind him for an easy completion. Read the deep half or deep third defender to the play side, if he stays flat footed on run action or bites on the curl the corner route will be open behind him for a big play. Man coverage with no help over the top gets exposed because the corner route wins on a natural rub with the curl runner, so look for press corners with a deep safety cheating away from this concept. Zone blitzes that bring five or six rushers can beat this if the HB releases outside instead of staying in to block, so track where the extra rusher comes from before deciding on max protect versus release. Cover 2 with an aggressive underneath linebacker jumping the flat leaves the deep corner route as the built in answer, but a disciplined deep half safety who stays over the top can take away both the curl and corner reads and force a checkdown.
Usage Tips
Presnap identify if the corner over the curl flat side is playing off or bailing into a deep third, since that tells you whether the curl will sit down in a soft window or if you need to go straight to the corner route. Use this on second and medium to second and long where defenses lean on zone shells like Cover 2 or Cover 3 to protect the sticks. Hot route the HB to a checkdown or keep him in as extra protection versus five or six man pressure looks, since the flat route from the TE already occupies that underdozen area. Pair this play with Slot Under or Stick in the same set to keep the defense guessing between quick underneath combos and this three level shot, forcing linebackers to widen and open up the corner route lane. If the defense shows two deep safeties presnap, key the flat defender first: if he sinks with the flat route, throw the curl immediately behind him for a chain moving gain.
