Playbooks
Likely unavailable in the playbook builder
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Weak Flood is a classic three level flood concept run to the weak side of the Singleback Ace Slot 12 personnel look, designed specifically as a Cover 3 beater. The play stacks a deep route, an intermediate out or corner, and a shallow flat route all into the same vertical stretch, overloading a single deflender or curl to flat zone defender. Primary read progression starts high to low: check the deep route first to see if the corner bites, then work down to the intermediate breaker, and finally settle on the flat route as your checkdown against a hard closing zone defender.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify the safety alignment: a single high safety shaded to the strength of formation tells you Cover 3 is live and this flood concept has a clean numbers advantage to the weak side. Post-snap, key the flat or curl to flat defender's zone drop, if he sinks too deep trying to take away the intermediate route, the flat route will be wide open for an easy pitch and catch. Watch for a user controlled lurk defender sitting in the shallow flat, if he stays home instead of blitzing or covering another route, he can jump the flat throw and create a turnover opportunity. Against Cover 4 or Cover 2 shells with two deep safeties, this flood is far less effective since the deep route runs into extra help, look to switch to an inside breaking concept instead. Man coverage with press corners at the line can disrupt the timing of this concept, if you see man alignment pre-snap consider hot routing the deep route into a speed cut or switching to a play with more natural man beating separation.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion or a quick shift to identify if the defense is playing a true Cover 3 shell with a single high safety, since this play is built to punish exactly that look.
If the cornerback to the flood side is playing off man or soft zone, hot route the flat route to a corner or speed out to turn this into a man beater on the fly.
This play works best on second and medium to second and long, giving your quarterback time to work through the high to low read without forcing an early throw.
Pair Weak Flood with Curl Flat or Curl Flat Corner from this same set so the defense sees a similar backfield action and route stem but gets a different leverage read, keeping linebackers and safeties guessing.
Watch for a user controlled safety sitting on the deep route, if you see him crash early, immediately reset your eyes to the intermediate breaker for a chunk gain before the flat defender can rally.
