Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Frogs Skinny Posts is a man beating pass concept out of Weak I 21 personnel that attacks the seams with dual skinny post routes from the TE and a receiver, paired with underneath crossers and a flare or check release from the backfield to hold linebackers. The skinny posts create natural separation against man coverage by angling away from trail defenders while staying tight enough to avoid safety help over the top. The primary read starts with the skinny post to the play side, then works to the underneath crosser if the post is blanketed, and finally checks down to the backfield outlet against pressure or clogged intermediate zones.
Defensive Reads
Watch for a single high safety pre-snap, which signals Cover 1 or Cover 3 and opens up the skinny post throwing lanes against man or zone drops. If both safeties are deep at 12 plus yards, expect Cover 2 or Cover 4, which puts more traffic on the skinny posts and shifts the read to the crosser or checkdown. Key the strong side linebacker's depth at the snap, since a linebacker sitting shallow in a hook zone can jump the skinny post and bait a pick six. Man match blitzes with a lurking safety in the middle of the field shut this play down quickly, so identify the mike linebacker's blitz alignment before the snap. Post snap, track any user controlled defender flashing into the intermediate middle, since that is the primary threat to both skinny post routes converging near the same area.
Usage Tips
Attack single high shells like Cover 1 and Cover 3 since the skinny posts split the difference between the hook zone and the deep third defender.
Pre-snap, identify if the strong safety is cheating over the TE's skinny post release, and if so hot route that route to a corner or out to counter the leverage.
Use this play on second and medium to second and long where defenses expect a run out of Weak I personnel, since the play action window is disguised well by the run heavy formation.
Pair this with Counter F and HB Gut earlier in a series to sell run action, then come back to Frogs Skinny Posts once the defense starts stepping up linebackers.
Against zone heavy defenses, prioritize the crossing route read since skinny posts can get squeezed by underneath zone defenders sitting in the passing lanes.
