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.

Double Slant

Double Slant is a great quick-game concept vs. Cover 2 or any type of Man coverage.  The key is the route by the inside WR.  He doesn't just run upfield and then slant inside.  He has a very specific aiming point at the inside # of the #2 defender.  I chose the video at the end of the article as a teaching cut because it demonstrates this technique extremely well.  Success in the passing game is not about drawing up cool-looking plays—like everything else in football, its success is mostly due to fundamentals and proper technique...by the the receivers, the QB, and especially the protection.