Playbooks
Curls X-Choice out of Singleback Y Trips Close is a trips-side curl concept with the X receiver running a choice route on the backside, giving you a built-in man beater and zone beater in one play call. The trips receivers work curls at varying depths to sit down in the underneath zone windows or stack separation on man defenders, while the backside X reads leverage and breaks in, out, or vertical based on the corner's technique. Your primary read is the X-Choice route versus off man or press, then progress into the trips side curls working from outside in if the backside is taken away.
Identify single high safety shells like Cover 3 or Cover 1 pre-snap since the curls will find soft spots in the underneath zones or the X-Choice route can win outside on a slant break Watch for cornerback press alignment on the X receiver, which signals man coverage and tells you the choice route will likely break inside away from leverage Look for linebackers walking up into blitz alignment since Curls X-Choice has quick underneath options that punish overload blitzes if you get the ball out fast Beware of Cover 4 or pattern-match zones with athletic linebackers, since they can sit on the shallow curls and rob the intermediate throwing lanes Post-snap, track any user-controlled defender dropping into a lurk position over the trips side because that player can jump the curl route if you stare it down too long
Check the backside corner alignment before the snap because press coverage tells you to expect a speed cut on the X-Choice route while off coverage opens up the sit-down option
Use this play on second and medium to third and medium since the curl depths typically settle around the sticks and give you a high percentage completion
Motion is not needed here but use your pre-snap hot routes to adjust the inner trips receiver into a deeper dig if you see a two high shell sitting soft
Pair this call with WR Screen and HB Dive earlier in the drive to bait linebackers into driving on shorter routes, which opens passing lanes for the curls to sit in
Against man coverage, key the X-Choice receiver's release and throw with anticipation right off his break since choice routes are designed to counter both inside and outside leverage