Playbooks

Curls Combo

Singleback·Y Trips·11

Curl Pass Play Flat Swing

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This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

Diagram coming soon

Quick Reference

FormationSingleback

SetY Trips

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 4 playbooks

Fix OffenseOffense Sim Screenrunblend Ba OffenseOffense Sim Screenrunblend Ph OffenseOffense Sim Screenrunblend Rn OffenseOffense

Receiver routes

Depth-chart slots are shown as they line up in the base package for this set.

See this play with a team's players

Player	Side	Route
HB1	Middle	Swing
WR3	Right	Flat
WR1	Left	Curl
WR2	Right	Curl
TE1	Right	Smash

Read progression

WR2 right, Curl
WR1 left, Curl
TE1 right, Smash
WR3 right, Flat
HB1, SwingCheck-down

Breakdown

Curls Combo out of Singleback Y Trips is a zone beater built around multiple curl routes hitting different levels and landmarks against the trips side, with the backside receiver working a comeback or curl to balance the field. The concept is designed to attack the soft spots of zone coverage, especially Cover 3 and Cover 4, by settling receivers in the underneath and intermediate windows where linebackers and flat defenders have to make tough choices. The primary read progression starts with the trips side curls from outside in, then works back to the backside route if the underneath defenders sink deep enough to take away the initial window.

Defensive Reads

Check the safety alignment pre-snap, since two high shells signal Cover 2 or Cover 4 zones where the curls have room to sit in the intermediate window. Watch the linebacker depth at the snap, because if they sink too deep on curl recognition it opens throwing lanes underneath for the running back or checkdown. Identify user controlled defenders lurking in the middle of the field, since a smart user linebacker can sit on the primary curl read and bait an interception. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender can undercut the outside curl, so progress inside to the next curl in the combo rather than forcing the initial read. Man coverage with no help over the top shuts this concept down quickly, since the curl breaks are easy to jump, so be ready to check into a route adjustment or throw it away.

Usage Tips

Use pre-snap motion or a slot cross check to identify if the defense is playing zone or man, since this concept loses value against tight man coverage without a hot route adjustment.

If the defense shows Cover 3, target the curl sitting just past the underneath zone drop, especially against linebackers who bail too fast.

Hot route the backside receiver into a dig or option route if you diagnose man coverage pre-snap, since the natural curl breaks give press corners an easy jump on the route.

This play works best on second and medium to third and medium distances where the sit routes give the quarterback high percentage completions in front of the sticks.

Pair this call with Four Verticals or Y-Seam Curl from the same set to keep defenses honest, since Curls Combo punishes zone drops while those plays punish aggressive underneath defenders jumping the curls.