22/23 Double Stick – 22/23 Double Stick is
normally a five-step drop to the double stick side. There is also the two-step
drop to the hitch route on the single receiver side here also. This version of
22 Y Stick includes the fullback in a swing route, making this require more of a
five step for the quarterback. The same reads apply here as for the Stick/Flat
route combination. This combination is what Coach John Jenkins teaches in
California.
(1)Y Stick – We want the Y end (tight end) to get the cleanest possible release. We want him to get into his course quickly, despite any attempted jams. We want him to plant his inside foot and snap his head around quickly at 5-6 yards. If the defender rotates outside and attacks him quickly, we require the Y end to collision, and cut him off using his body to get good position on the defender. We instruct him to utilize his shoulder, rear end, or hips to cut off the defender and then gain separation from the defender, but find the void between the inside and outside defender. If man coverage, he uses his separation techniques and leverage concepts to open himself up for the quarterback.
The quarterback will probably be throwing the ball, or already have thrown the ball. So we instruct the tight end to look for the ball as soon as he snaps his head around. Once he catches the ball, he is instructed to spin his hips around and get a path going north and south.
(2) FB Flat - We instruct any receiver running the shoot route that he start with a burst up field for two steps, and throws his
b) X Hitch/Fade – One of the factors in our pre-snap read is how the defense will align versus some of our formations.
c) E hitch/seam option – This is one of the key components of “Y Stick” route package. When you see Coach’s Coverdale
22/23 Y Stick Nod – The “Nod” is a kind of out and up for the stick route. It gives us an option against defense stacking up the short zones and sacrificing the deep areas. This is primarily a red zone alternative to help loosen up the zone defenses as we get inside the twenty yard line.
We also feature “Nod” with the double
stick play, and refer to it as “Double Stick Nod”. This will result in both of
the stick routes being and “out and up” type of feature.
Double Stick – (from Train, Zebra, Flush) –
Instead of having the option of the
“Shoot” route and the “Stick” route, we have the two receivers both run “stick”
routes inside of the fade route on the outside.
Quarterback techniques and reads – The basic drop for the split end hitch is the basic two step drop. For the right handed quarterback, he drops first with his left foot, then with his right and throwing outside immediately. This is in the case that the split end has a seven yard plus cushion, and gives the split end priority over the stick/flat combination.
Quarterback priorities for the Stick/Flat read:
-Key the strong safety or the defender who has flat area responsibility.
-Check pre-snap reads and check leverage.
-Check the flat area first, then come inside to the stick. There are many times looking off the flat route first will open up the stick by forcing the defender to turn his hips.
-When playing against cover 2, looking first to the strong side fade and seeing that the cover 2 corner either sits, or turns his hips and runs with the fade route.
-Come
inside to the hitch/seam (in spread formations), or HB check in two back
formations if Stick/Flat is covered.
Quarterback priorities for the sideline-swing read:
Key the strong safety or the defender who has flat area responsibility.
Check pre-snap reads and check leverage.
Look for the swing route first, and then the stick. Many times looking at the swing route first will open up the sideline fade route.
When playing against cover 2, check the seam area behind the strong side corner first at the fade route.
Come
inside to the hitch/seam (in spread formations), or HB check in two back
formations if Stick/Flat is covered.
If the quarterback sees that the defense has slid over to the strong side and taking away the lanes, then the quarterback can go to his back side options with his two step drop. He must stand tall in the pocket and make his throw quickly and surely to the hitch or fade to the split end.
When the quarterback does make his decision to throw, he wants to get the ball out in front of the flat route by 12 inches in front of the numbers.
When throwing the stick route, he wants to put the ball to the outside upper corner of the tight ends numbers. When throwing the fade, we want him to throw it over the outside shoulder of the wide receiver, 22 to 25 yards deep.
When throwing to the backside, the quarterback drills the hitch between the numbers of the wide receiver. When throwing the slant, the ball needs to be thrown 12 inches out in front the numbers of the wide receiver.
The read is very similar when throwing to the double stick,
but the majority of the passes will go to the inside stick route. When throwing
the stick- nod route, it’s a pump fade and throw to the stick and up.
Protection schemes – Most five and six man protection
schemes will work in this route package.
Double read by call side Guard versus 3-4 front, Alert for “tuf” call.
First linebacker to call side versus even and over shift fronts (“stay”, “slide”,“snuggle”, “L.A.”/”Raider”, “L/R”
NAVAJO. Navajo open protection; alert for gap situation.
Possible “gap” or “Lucky/Ringo” calls.
“Open”
away from call versus three man line.
Fullback – free release to side of tight end and run appropriate route.
Half back – Block “Whip” – alert for “bag”, ”open” and “gap” calls. (versus three man line you have the “Plugger” linebacker.
*In 322 (323), the line never “opens” away from the call due to the three-stop drop. Halfback has “Whip”.
This is aggressive pass protection. We
teach to get the hands of the defenders down, and hold their ground. They are
instructed to fire out and get a good first punch on the pass rushers.
Practical Application –
San Francisco can field multiple receiver formations and stretch the field. The 49ers place wide receiver Jerry Rice in the slot to the weak side, and wide receiver J.J. Stokes (83) outside of Rice. Wide receiver John Taylor (82), is lined up on the strong side wide, with tight end Brent Jones (84) inside. Fullback William Floyd (40) is lined up behind the right tackle and will go in motion behind the tight end.
The Indianapolis Colts will line up in a 3-2-6 personnel package, and will only rush three linemen. The Colts plan to cover this formation with eight defenders ( two linebackers, six defensive backs).
At the snap, the Colts take away the stick route combination to the strong side of the formation, while using linebacker Trev Alberts (51) as a “spy” on quarterback Steve Young (8). The stick combination being covered sends Young to scan the slot side of the formation where the Colts have a three on two advantage in coverage with the double coverage being on Rice. Defensive backs Jay Belser (29) and Ray Buchanan (34) show a pre-snap double coverage look on Rice. But, at the snap, Buchanan releases Rice inside into Belser. Buchanan drops off to give inside help to the cornerback. But, Belser looses Rice as he turns back away on this sort of “whip” route. Young and Rice have this timed out perfectly, and the result is six points for the 49ers.
In the formation show below, it is actually similar with the exception of the personnel and tight alignment of the two tight ends. Tight end Ted Popson (85) is aligned off the line of scrimmage, and on a wing off tight end Brent Jones (84). The rest of the formation is the same. Wide receivers Jerry Rice is on the line of scrimmage, with Terrell Owens (81) to the outside, and fullback William Floyd aligned behind the right tackle.
The Atlanta Falcons align in the “43” alignment and show a “two deep” zone coverage in their pre-snap alignment.
The Falcons will rush linebacker David
Brandon (54) from the outside, and will drop a defensive tackle into coverage in
to the short hook zone area. By using film study, the Falcons know that by the
use of this formation, this is a high probability pass formation used by the
49ers, and they also know that the stick combination is also a high possibility.
At the snap, the Falcons will rotate the
strong side of their defense to jump the stick combination, and try to bring
Brandon on the backside to add pressure to the quarterback. The 49ers use Rice
to run and continue across the formation, instead of the normal stop route. Many
defensive backs cannot cover Rice, much less a defensive tackle. This is a short
throw for Young, and a easy catch for Rice for him to turn up field quickly.
Young has read the defense and seen the stick combination, and checks down to
Rice coming across his vision,
Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Gary Stephens used several west coast offense principle in his pass attack. The Dolphins for years had featured quarterback Dan Marino and tried to put a number of excellent pass receivers around him.
In this formation, the Dolphins show their two wide receivers to the left in a slot formation, and the running backs are split. Tight end Keith Jackson is on the right side. This in our terminology is “Red Right Slot”.
The Pittsburgh Steelers counter in their
3-4 defense with linebacker Greg Lloyd playing inside technique over wide
receiver Mark Ingram, with cornerback Rod Woodson on the tight end side. This is
a strong indicator of zone coverage. As the Dolphins run wide receiver Mark
Ingram in motion from his slot position, the Steelers adjust by rotating the
secondary to meet the motion, another zone indicator,
At the snap, the Dolphins will run the
stick combination the same basic way that is used in the west coast offense. The
Dolphins get the match-up they want, Levon Kirkland (99) covering Keith Jackson
(88) on the stick route. Kirkland is more concerned with Jackson crossing into
his zone and easily gives the outside away to the stick route. This is the area
where linebacker Kevin Greene (91) would normally be awaiting anything coming
outside, but he is drawn outside very quickly by fullback Tony Paige on the flat
route. Ingram runs the cornerback, Rod Woodson, off deep giving plenty of room
for quarterback Steve DeBerg to throw the stick route. Marino and DeBerg both
have quick feet and drop quickly, and make quick decisions. DeBerg made his
decision decisively as Jackson was going into his break and makes a perfect
pass, at the outside upper corner of the numbers on Jackson’s jersey, resulting
in a nine yard gain and a easy second and one situation.
Below is an example of the “Double Stick” route combination.
The Packers will spread the field against the zone coverage scheme of the Cincinnati Bengals. The Packers will line up three receivers to the wide side of the field and try to run the double stick route combination against the Bengals linebackers, James Francis (50) and Tom Tumulty (53). The flanker in this formation runs the fade route against the pre-snap read of the Bengals two deep zone. If the corner sits and waits for the slot back, quarterback Brett Favre will try to thread the needle on the fade route behind corner Ashley Ambrose (33). If the corner turns and runs with the fade route, then Favre reads the double sticks reads on the underneath coverage. Linebacker James Francis will turn his hips and run with the slot receiver, leaving an opening for the stick route coming inside of him. Tight end Mark Chmura (89) will find the opening between the linebackers and make the catch for a seven yard gain.
Linebacker Tom Tumulty will try to wall off Chmura from coming inside, but leaves Chmura the opening for the stick route.
On the backside, the Packers will call the “X Hook” route, but also can use the hitch/fade option also.
In the protection scheme, the Packers will
slide their protection to the right, and leave the running back to pick up the
first man coming off the backside of the protection scheme. This is Rip/Liz
protection in our scheme, or a gap protection scheme to pick up blitzes and
stunts from this type of defense.
Below, lets see a red zone variation of the stick/double stick combination. Green Bay will line up in the same formation, on Tampa’s five yard line.
Tampa will initially show a two deep look, but then begins to rotate before the snap toward the strong side. Down near the goal line, defensive coordinators will use more of a attack scheme, like blitzing more often.
At the snap, the Packers send both of the outside wide receivers to the corner by way of fade routes. The slot receiver, Derrick Mayes (80), and tight end Mark Chmura will run one of the man coverage adjustments off of the stick route, the “Nod”.
The Buccaneers will slant their defensive
linemen to the backside of the protection scheme of the Packers, and rush two
linebackers off the strong side. This leaves only five in man coverage on the
five Packer receivers. This plays to the strength of the Green Bay Packers. Both
Mayes and Chmura will execute the stick route technique, but as they break into
their cuts for the stick route, they turn upfield with a good head and shoulder
fake. Tampa strong safety John Lynch (47) will gain on Mayes and do an excellent
job of coverage. Linebacker Derrick Brooks has to run over from his weak side
linebacker position to cover Chmura in this coverage scheme. Initially, Brooks
does get into position, but with Chmura’s “nod” up field, Brooks is caught out
of position due to his momentum and inability to regain inside position on
Chmura. Favre reads this defense perfectly and throws a dart to Chmura, before
the weak safety Charles Mincy (22) can get over to stop the play.
In conclusion, we have demonstrated the quick release nature of this play and the adjustments that are utilized in this concept. I'm sure you can add a few in there also. There isn’t any one way to run this concept as we have already shown, due to the numerous variations that have been displayed. We have displayed variations off the stick route concept, and also the flexibility of the backside routes have also been displayed. In the practical application section, we have displayed the flexibility of the concept versus various defenses as well.