Thursday, November 1, 2012

Slant Route - Getting Leverage on the Defender

This film is from 2003 Norm Chow era USC TV cut-ups, which is all I had to study before access to coaches film became more prevalent.  These are the best examples of the right and wrong way to run the Slant route that I have ever seen.  Both examples are from the same game and both were 3rd Down plays.  I coach my WRs running the Slant route to attack the inside # of the defender with their three steps.  I have heard coaches before tell their WRs to attack the outside # to open the DB's hips and then come inside.  That works in theory, but as you will see in the cut-ups, it does not always work in practice.  Mike Williams was a Freshman running the Slant route in the first cut-up.  He doesn't attack the inside # of the defender to gain leverage (position) and he ends up running into the CB.  It's a sloppy route by an inexperienced player that lead to a Punt on that possession.


The second cut-up shows a veteran WR, Kerry Colbert (I believe), running the Slant the correct way: attack the inside # to get leverage, stay low and stick the foot in the ground with a head nod away, and catch the ball with the hands away from the body.  It's a thing of beauty to see proper technique ruthlessly destroy opponents time and time again.

Versus Press coverage, I do coach my WRs to use a Diamond release where they work outside and then back in, but that's vs. Press, not vs. Loose Man or Zone coverage.  That will a future mini-post.

Here's the film:

2 comments:

  1. The slant route is a great route. I have seen it coached several different ways. Some coaches run it 3 step, some 5, some 2, some 4...etc... The way the qb throws it varies too, some like to shoot a rocket in there others, like Walsh, say it is an easier throw.
    Either way you coach it, it can move the chains.
    We like to run the Slant and Go on aggressive corners who are jumping inside on the slant, very effective play.
    Thanks Coach,
    Archie

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