Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
TE Drag out of Weak I 22 personnel sends the TE on a shallow drag route across the formation from the strong side, working behind a receiver breaking outside on a corner route from the slot and in front of an out route from the wide receiver aligned to the boundary. On the backside, the split end runs a deep vertical release while the fullback releases out of the backfield on a delayed curl to the flat, giving the quarterback a checkdown option underneath. The line shows a standard pass protection look, and this is a man beater with zone beater elements since the drag route creates natural rub traffic and the curl-flat combo attacks the underneath zone voids, with the primary read progression starting on the TE drag, then working to the fullback curl-flat, and finally the deep corner route on a full field progression.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is in a single high shell like Cover 3 or Cover 1, since the underneath drag and curl-flat combo exploit the shallow zone voids left by deep-dropping linebackers. Watch for a user-controlled linebacker sitting in the shallow drag lane, this is the primary defensive counter and it forces the quarterback to work to the fullback curl-flat instead. Cover 2 shells with corners playing the flat aggressively can jump the drag route early, so look for cornerback depth pre-snap to gauge if the drag is a live option. Man coverage with a linebacker matched on the fullback is a clear tell that the checkdown is vulnerable, key on whether that linebacker has outside help before committing to that read. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers up the middle can disrupt the drag route timing, so recognize pressure indicators like linebackers creeping toward the line pre-snap and get the ball out on rhythm.
Usage Tips
Read the middle linebacker depth at the snap because if he sits or blitzes the TE drag window opens immediately for an easy completion and YAC opportunity.
Check safety alignment before the snap, if you see two high safeties the corner route and vertical from the split end have more room to work against soft zone coverage.
Use hot routes to convert the fullback curl-flat into a quick flat route against man coverage if you anticipate a linebacker in man matched on him, since he often loses that matchup in space.
This play pairs well with TE Flat and PA Waggle in the same set since both use similar backfield action and route stems, letting you keep the defense guessing on run fits versus pass concepts.
Best called on second or third and short to medium yardage since the drag and curl-flat give the quarterback a high floor completion against most coverage shells.
