Curl Drag out of Singleback Doubles North lines up with two receivers to the closed side, a flanker isolated backside, and a tight end and running back attached to the formation. The backside receiver runs a deep vertical clear route to occupy the cornerback and safety, while the tight end works a curl in the middle of the field and the outside receiver at the line sits into a quick curl at the sticks. The running back releases outside on a curl to the flat and the frontside slot receiver runs the drag across the field, giving the quarterback a horizontal stretch read from the flat curl through the drag to the deep curl. This is a zone beater concept: the drag sits underneath linebackers while the two curls settle behind the shallow zone drops, and the primary read progression starts with the drag, works to the sitting curl, then climbs to the flat route if the underneath defenders squeeze the middle.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, check linebacker depth and spacing since shallow drops signal zone coverage that this play is designed to exploit with the drag and sitting curls. Watch safety alignment before the snap, two deep safeties usually mean the defense is protecting against the vertical clear route and will lean into underneath zone drops. Post-snap, key the middle linebacker or nickel defender assigned to the drag route, if he sinks into a deep zone drop instead of chasing the drag, the quarterback can hit it for consistent yardage. Beware disguised blitzes off the edge since the running back's flat route release can get picked off by a user-controlled defender jumping the route if the quarterback locks on too early. This concept struggles against aggressive man coverage with a deep half safety spying the drag, since the rub route traffic gets less time to develop and the quarterback loses the easy underneath completion.

Usage Tips

Use this on third and medium to third and long when defenses are likely to sit in zone coverage and want to take away the deep ball.

Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing two deep safeties or a single high look, since Curl Drag punishes off man and zone drops equally well against soft cushions.

Hot route the running back into a wider flat release against blitz-heavy fronts so the quarterback has an outlet before pressure arrives.

Pair this play with PA Rollout or PA Cross from the same set to keep linebackers honest on their zone drops after they see Curl Drag work underneath multiple times.

Against man coverage, key the drag route first since it creates natural rub traffic and forces a switch or blown assignment from man defenders trailing across the field.

Curl Drag

Quick Reference

In 1 playbook

Receiver routes

Read progression

Breakdown

Defensive Reads

Usage Tips

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