Play Setup
This play has the 2 receivers on the twins side line up wide and in the slot. The single side receiver lines up in the slot.
QB Read
- Red – Twins Side Wide – Smash Route
- Green – Twins Side Slot – Hook
- Blue – Single Side Slot – Drag (finding open spot in the middle of field)
- Black – Center – Corner Single Side (mainly decoy)
The main read is the Twins Wide receiver running the smash route. However, depending on the situation, the Quarterback may stay in the pocket and focus on the Center – Corner route and the Single Slot running an intermediate drag and finding a soft spot in the zone.
Play Description
This play is short yardage gainer with bigger play potential. Consider this play after running a couple of quick dump-offs underneath (See Twins 1).
The Slot Receiver on the Twins side runs a 7 yard hook. The Wide receiver runs a short drag and commits to the route for 4-5 steps. This is to give the defense time to recognize and react. The Quarterback should watch the receiver the whole time while rolling out toward the Twins side of the field. What you want on this play is the safety to guard the Slot receiver’s hook route or cheat up in anticipation of the Wide receiver catching short the pass.
After the 4-5 steps across the field, the receiver flips the route and runs an out gaining some separation on anybody that was covering him. If the pass is completed accurately without the receiver slowing down and the safety has moved up to cover the middle of the field, the entire sideline should be open.
If the deep defenders in the defense do not bite on the short play, you should be able to pick up 5-10 yards most times you run it.
Play Variation
One variation is to slide the Twins Slot receiver toward the Center. This may open up the field even more. However, sometimes the defense on the Twins side of the field may ignore the receiver as he is closer to the middle of the field. Sometimes, it’s better to have a receiver close to the defender that he has to account for instead of trying to move the defense with decoy routes run through the zone.