Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Fk Flat Trail is a play-action pass out of Singleback Bunch X Nasty that dresses up a run fake before releasing four routes into the underneath and deep zones. The trail concept sends the bunch receivers on a flat route and a trailing dig-style crosser underneath, while the backside X and TE work vertical stems that break outside for over the top shots. This is primarily a zone beater, using the flat and trail combo to layer the underneath defenders while stretching the field horizontally, with the primary read starting on the flat route before working to the trailing crosser and then climbing to the outside vertical breaks if the defense sinks its zone.
Defensive Reads
Look for cover 3 or cover 4 zone shells pre-snap since this trail concept exploits underneath zone defenders who have to cover both horizontal space and the trailing crosser. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they crash hard on the run fake the flat and trail routes will have wide open grass underneath. Man coverage with no zone help over the top can shut this down quickly since the trail route loses its natural rub advantage against tight man technique. Identify user controlled lurk defenders sitting in the shallow zone, a smart human defender can jump the trail route since it is the second read in the progression. Key the corner positioning on the backside vertical routes, aggressive press corners who jump the stem early can be beaten deep if the safety rotates away from that side.
Usage Tips
Use this play on early downs when you want to sell run action and get linebackers to bite on the fake before releasing into their zone drops.
Check the safety alignment pre-snap, if you see two high safeties sitting deep this trail concept has more room to work underneath without immediate help arriving.
Hot route the backside X vertical into a comeback or hitch against soft corners playing off coverage to give yourself a quicker outlet if the underneath routes are covered.
Pair this play with Flat Y Leak or Mtn Flat Y Leak in your call sheet so the defense has to respect both the leak action and the trail concept out of the same bunch look, keeping linebackers honest.
Best used on second and medium or third and short when the play fake can freeze linebackers just long enough to open the flat and trail windows underneath.
