Playbooks
Depth-chart slots are shown as they line up in the base package for this set.
| Player | Side | Route |
|---|---|---|
| HB1 | Middle | Swing |
| WR2 | Left | Smash |
| WR3 | Left | Corner |
| TE1 | Right | Flat |
| WR1 | Right | Corner |
Flanker Spot is a Cover 3 beater built around the classic Spot concept, combining a flat route, a hitch, and an underneath curl or spot route to attack the shallow zones a Cover 3 defense leaves exposed. The blocking scheme is a standard five man protection, giving the quarterback a quick, high percentage progression rather than a deep shot. The primary read starts with the flat defender: if he widens with the flat route, work back to the spot route settling in the void, and if the zone stays tight, check down to the underneath option for a safe completion.
Identify the middle linebacker's depth at the snap, since a shallow drop into the spot window signals he is sitting on the primary read and you should progress to the flat immediately. Watch the flat defender's first step, if he widens to take away the flat route the spot sitting behind him should be open in the soft zone. Beware of user controlled defenders lurking in the shallow middle zone, since aggressive human players will often sit on the spot route and jump the throw if you stare it down. This play struggles against Cover 4 or Cover 2 Man because the underneath defenders have more help and can squeeze the spacing concept, so check pre-snap safety alignment for two high shells before committing to this call. Look for disguised blitzes from the second level, since Flanker Spot only uses a five man protection and a hot blitz off the edge or through an A gap can beat the pass rush picture before your first read develops.
Use pre-snap motion or a quick alignment check to confirm the defense is playing Cover 3 before snapping, since this play loses value against Cover 4 or Cover 6 shells.
Hot route the backside receiver into a quick out or slant if you diagnose man coverage, since the base concept is designed to attack zone drops rather than beat press man.
Best called on second or third and short to medium, where the underneath completions from the Spot concept convert without needing a explosive gain.
Pair this play with PA Rollout or PA Y Drag Wheel in the same set to keep linebackers honest, since Flanker Spot's quick game tempo sets up play-action shots off similar receiver splits.
Combine with Stick or Stick Spacing on early downs to build a pattern of quick game reads that makes it harder for defenders to jump routes based on formation recognition alone.