Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Dagger from Singleback Wing Slot lines up with the outside receiver running a deep vertical to clear the top of the coverage while the slot receiver from the same side sits down on a square-in behind the linebackers. The backside features a corner route from the wing and a check release flat route from the running back for a shallow outlet against pressure. This is a classic man and zone beater built to attack Cover 2 and Cover 3 shells, with the primary read progression going vertical clear-out first to see if it opens the deep middle, then the square-in against the linebacker level, and finally the check down flat route if both are covered.
Defensive Reads
Watch the deep safety leverage at the snap, if he bites on the square-in the vertical clear out route behind him is your explosive play answer Key the flow of the underneath linebackers, if they sink deep with the square-in route the check release flat route becomes wide open for an easy completion Against Cover 3 the deep vertical route occupies the deep third defender which should open a throwing lane for the square-in over the middle Man coverage with no safety help over the top is the biggest risk for this play since the deep vertical route can get taken away, look to work the square-in and flat combo instead Beware of a user controlled linebacker sitting in the passing lane of the square-in route since that lurk threat is the primary way defenses shut this concept down
Usage Tips
Identify the safety shell before the snap, if you see two deep safeties or a single high safety cheating to the field side the square-in behind the linebackers becomes your bread and butter throw
Use the vertical route as a clear out even if you never intend to throw it, this occupies the deep defender and opens the window for the dig underneath
Hot route the check release running back into a hard flat if you are facing a heavy blitz look, this gives you a quick answer against nano blitzes without changing the whole play
Pair this play with Four Verticals and PA Dagger in the same series so defenses cannot sit on the square-in read once they start jumping the route
Best called on second and medium to third and long situations where the defense is more likely to sit in zone shells rather than press man
