Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Stick from Singleback Y Trips TE Slot is a quick-hitting Stick concept designed to attack the flat and hook zones with immediate throwing windows. Out of the trips side, the outside receiver runs a corner route stretching the deep third, while the two inside slot receivers work a stick combination, one sitting down at five yards and the other releasing to the flat underneath. The backside X receiver runs an out and up option route breaking outside, and the running back stays in to help protect against the four man rush shown by the red pass block arrow. The primary read starts with the stick nation on the inside slot (the receiver settling at five yards versus the one working the flat), then progresses to the corner route if the deep defender bites on the underneath stuff.
Defensive Reads
Check the slot cornerback depth before the snap, since a soft shell over the trips side signals zone coverage and opens the stick nation window immediately. Watch the flat defender at the snap, if he sits and jumps the underneath route, work the deeper stick sitter or reset to the corner route on the outside receiver. Identify Cover 3 buzz drops from linebackers, this play is designed to exploit the seam between the flat defender and the curl defender on the trips side. Be wary of Cover 2 man or Cover 4 press looks with the corner sticking on the outside receiver, since the corner route can get taken away and force you to live underneath. Watch for a user controlled linebacker sitting in the shallow hook zone, that is the biggest lurk threat against the stick nation read and can bait you into a turnover.
Usage Tips
Use this on third and short to medium distance since the stick combo is designed to pick up quick, easy yardage against zone drops.
Presnap, identify if the defense is showing zone or man by checking linebacker depth and slot corner alignment, since the stick nation is a true zone beater against Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells.
Hot route the backside X receiver into a quick slant or drag if you diagnose man coverage, giving you a rhythm throw against tight man alignment.
Pair this play with Curl Combo or Smash from the same set to keep the defense guessing between quick game and intermediate shot plays without changing your formation tendency.
Combine with HB Dive or HB Zone Wk out of the same personnel to set up run fits before coming back to Stick on early downs when linebackers start cheating up.
