Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Flanker Curl out of Singleback Ace 12 personnel shows a five man route concept with no play-action or RPO elements attached. The X receiver runs a deep dig that breaks across the middle, the Y (inline TE) runs a drag underneath crossing the formation from right to left, and the flanker (Z) releases vertically up the numbers on a go route that occupies the deep defender on that side. The HB checks release out of the backfield to the flat before working upfield, giving the quarterback a five step drop progression from the deep shot to the underneath crossers with the flat route as the checkdown. This is primarily a zone beater, designed to stress the intermediate hook and curl zones with the drag and dig crossing at different depths while the flanker's vertical stretches the deep coverage.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify if the defense shows two deep safeties or one high, since a single high shell tells you the dig has room to sit down in the middle void. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they drop deep into hook zones they can rob the dig route, forcing you to work the drag and flat instead. Man coverage with no safety help over the top gets exposed if the flanker wins his vertical release, so track the corner's backpedal for a blown coverage assignment. User controlled defenders sitting in the middle of the field are the biggest threat to this concept since they can jump the dig and drag routes if the quarterback stares them down. Cover 3 sky or buzz zones with a linebacker spying underneath crossers will squeeze the throwing windows, so use pump fakes or eye manipulation to move that defender before delivering the ball.
Usage Tips
Use this on second and medium to second and long when you expect zone coverage like Cover 3 or Cover 4 since the crossing routes settle into soft spots between zone defenders.
Read the flanker's vertical release first against single high shells, if the deep safety bites on the dig you have a shot play down the sideline.
Against Cover 2 or Cover 4, work the drag route quickly since it crosses the linebacker level before the underneath defenders can pattern match.
Pair this play with PA Post Dig or PA Boot Roll earlier in a drive so the defense respects play-action out of the same Singleback Ace look, opening up this dropback concept later.
If the user drops a linebacker into the deep hook zone to take away the dig, check down to the HB flat route immediately rather than forcing the throw.
