Playbooks
Likely unavailable in the playbook builder
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Curls Combo out of Singleback Y Trips is a zone beater built around a curl route combination distributed across the field at staggered depths, with the trips side creating a natural triangle read against zone drops. The backside typically works an isolated route to punish man coverage if the defense rotates a safety away from the trips bunch. Blocking is a standard five man protection with the running back releasing late or checking the closest edge threat, and the primary read progression starts with the outside trips curl, works inside to the intermediate curl sitting in the hook zone, then comes back to the backside route if the quarterback has time.
Defensive Reads
Read the safety alignment before the snap, since a single high safety cheating toward the trips side signals Cover 3 and tells you the curls will have soft zone windows outside the numbers. Watch the flow of the linebackers at the snap, since a hook zone defender sitting too shallow leaves the intermediate curl open for a chunk gain before the safety can rotate over. Diagnose man coverage by checking if cornerbacks bail with the trips receivers at the snap, which signals Cover 1 or Cover 0 and means you should hot route the outside curl into a slant or comeback to beat the trail technique. Beware a Cover 4 shell with underneath match zone concepts, since sinking defenders can undercut the shallow curl and jump the throw if the quarterback stares down the first read too long. Look for a user controlled defender lurking in the middle hook zone, since that player will often sit on the intermediate curl and bait a throw, so use your check down or backside route as a answer if you see the user flash toward the trips side.
Usage Tips
Presnap identify whether the defense is showing two high or single high, since curls settle into soft spots against zone but need a hot route conversion to a slant or flat route if you see man coverage on the trips receivers.
Use the outside curl as your first read on third and medium situations since the sit route naturally finds grass against Cover 3 and Cover 4 zone drops.
If linebackers are showing blitz depth or a walked up nickel defender, motion the trips receiver or slide protection to the running back so he can help chip before releasing into his check route.
Pair this play with Four Verticals or Sluggo Seam from the same Y Trips formation to keep the defense honest against the same personnel look, since Curls Combo punishes zone drops while the vertical shots punish an overaggressive underneath rotation.
Sequence this behind Bubble Screen or HB Slip Screen earlier in a drive so linebackers sit on quick game and open up the curl windows later in the down and distance progression.
