Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 11 playbooks
Breakdown
Curl Flats out of Singleback Ace 12 personnel is a quick game-based passing concept built around two vertical stems that break into curls with a matching flat route underneath on one side and a middle read crosser from the backfield. The diagram shows both outside receivers pushing up the numbers before settling into curl routes at intermediate depth, while the running back releases into a shallow drag that crosses the formation to give the quarterback a checkdown and horizontal stretch. This is a zone beater at its core, using the curl and flat combination to hold underneath defenders while the drag works behind them, and the primary read progression starts with the near-side curl, works to the drag crossing the field, then checks down late if both are covered.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and corner alignment, if you see two deep safeties with corners playing off, expect Cover 2 or Cover 4 zone drops that this play is designed to exploit. Watch for a linebacker cheating toward the drag route's crossing lane before the snap, that is a sign of a user lurk defender sitting in the shallow zone. Post-snap, key the flat defender's drop, if he sinks too deep chasing the curl, the drag route behind him becomes wide open. Man coverage with underneath linebackers in trail technique can shut this down quickly since there is no immediate deep shot to punish tight coverage, so be ready to check down. Blitz-heavy fronts that bring extra rushers off the edge put pressure on the quarterback before the drag fully develops, so recognize pre-snap if the defense is showing an overload look and be ready to get the ball out fast on the curl.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing two-high or single-high safety looks since this concept thrives against zone shells like Cover 2 and Cover 3 where the curl sits down in the soft spot.
Use the drag route as your answer versus man coverage, it gives you a built-in rub and horizontal separation against linebackers trying to stay in phase.
Hot route the backside curl into a deeper comeback if you see a corner sitting low in a flat zone, this manipulates zone defenders who are keying the shorter route.
This play works best on second and medium to third and short since the curl and drag combo does not stress the field vertically, so avoid calling it in obvious third and long shot situations.
Pair this play with PA Boot Roll or PA Ctr Waggle from the same Singleback Ace set to keep linebackers honest, then come back to Curl Flats once the defense starts jumping the run fake.
