Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Curl Combo from Singleback Y Trips TE Slot lines up with a bunch trips side to the left and a single receiver isolated to the right, who runs a vertical seam straight up the numbers as the number one read. On the trips side, the outside receiver runs a corner curl that settles at ten yards, the middle TE runs a quick out breaking away from the formation, and the inside receiver works an inside curl over the ball. This is a zone beater built to attack the underneath and intermediate voids of Cover 3 and Cover 2 zone drops, with the primary read progression starting on the isolated seam route and working back to the trips side curl and out combo if the safety carries the vertical threat.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense shows two deep safeties or a single high safety, since this determines whether the backside seam route or the trips side curl combo is the better initial target. Watch the flat defender on the trips side, if he widens with the TE out route he opens up the inside curl for an easy completion underneath. User the deep half or deep third defender closest to the isolated seam route, since that route is designed to split the difference between the hash and the sideline against zone drops. Against man coverage, look for a linebacker or slower defender matched on the seam route, as that mismatch wins vertically before the curl routes even develop. Beware disguised Cover 3 sink calls where the flat defender drops late into the curl window, since a lurking underneath defender can jump the inside curl route if you stare it down.
Usage Tips
Check the safety alignment pre-snap, if you see two high safeties bail into a two deep shell the seam route on the backside becomes an easy throw before the coverage rotates over.
Against single high looks, use the seam as a shot play early in the drive and then live off the curl and out combo on the trips side for the rest of the game to keep the defense honest.
Hot route the middle TE out route into a deeper crossing route if you are facing heavy zone teams that sit their linebackers short, this stretches the flat defender horizontally.
Best used on second and medium or third and long since the curl routes settle into soft spots at the sticks and give you a built in conversion answer.
Pair this play with Four Verticals and Sluggo Seam from the same set, since both share the trips bunch alignment and force the defense to respect the deep ball before you come back to this zone beating curl combo.
