Playbooks
Curls X-Choice is a trips based zone beater out of Singleback Y Trips Close Wing that uses staggered curl routes from the trips side paired with an X receiver running a choice route on the backside. The choice route lets the X read the defender leverage and break in or out, giving you a built-in man beater against tight press corners while the curls settle into soft spots underneath zone coverage. Primary read progression starts with the X-Choice matchup on the backside, then works to the nearest curl route inside if the defender sits on the choice break, and finally checks down to the shallow drag or flare option out of the backfield.
Check the free safety depth presnap, since a single high safety alignment usually means the X-Choice route can win on a vertical break against man coverage. Watch the corner over the X receiver, if he is playing off man or soft zone, expect him to sit on the choice route and you should progress to the curl routes on the trips side. Post snap, key any user controlled lurk defender sitting in the shallow middle zone, since he can jump the choice route break if it comes in rather than out. This play struggles against zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4 with disciplined linebackers dropping into the curl windows, since the underneath defenders can sink and take away both the choice and curl reads simultaneously. Look for late blitz rotation from the linebacker level, if the defense brings a nano blitz off the edge the choice route becomes your quickest answer since it settles before the rush arrives.
Presnap, identify if the defense is showing single high or two high shell, since the X-Choice route thrives against man coverage or off zone where the corner cannot jam the release.
If you see press man on the X receiver, throw the choice route hot on a slant break to beat the jam before the defender can recover.
Use this play on second and medium to third and short situations where the curl routes settle in the sticks and give you a high percentage completion window.
Pair this play with Shallow X-Dig in your call sheet, since Shallow X-Dig attacks the same trips concept vertically and forces the defense to respect both levels.
Against teams that key on the curl routes with linebackers sitting underneath, come back to this same formation and run Mtn X-Go Dig to stress the field vertically and open up the choice route again on the next series.