Deep Patterns: Post, Corner, Up & Comeback

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There are four pass patterns for the wide receivers to master in the deep area. As with the other drills, we should have a wide receiver on defense; the quarterback and ball should not be brought into the drill until after the coach is certain that the receivers have learned and can execute each pattern correctly.

These deep pass patterns, with the exception of the "comeback," usually require the receiver to catch the ball as it reaches his hands in front of him as he runs toward the opponent's goal line. The coach and the player should review the method of catching a pass that reaches a receiver in this manner, and the player must remember to keep his little fingers together. The receiver needs to make every effort to reach for the ball with his hands, always trying to keep the ball and his fingers in his line of vision.

The first deep pass route, the "post" pattern, is a route that is run toward the center of the field at a deep angle toward the goal post. The receiver will attack up the field for 12 yards and then break in at a 45-degree angle toward the center of the field. The quarterback usually will loft the pass to the receiver, giving him an opportunity to run under the ball at full speed to make the reception.

The "corner" route is a pattern that comes off the post pattern. When a receiver is running a "corner," he again will attack up the field and break into the center of the field just as he did on the do post" route. But after he has driven in five or six steps, instead of continuing into the middle of the field, he will break on another 45-degree angle back to the corner of the field. To complete a "corner" pattern, the ball must be in the air for a great deal of time and the wide receiver must continue running and never give up on making the catch. The ball should be delivered just over the receiver's outside shoulder. But because it is such a difficult pass to throw with accuracy, the receiver must be prepared to make a diving catch on the ball.

Many young receivers do not understand that the "up" pass pattern only becomes effective when the receiver has been running the medium pass routes correctly and with success. The defensive back must become so concerned with stopping the completions on the medium routes that he forgets to stay deep and allows the receiver to get even with him. Wide receivers like to refer to the "up" pass pattern as the "even and leav'n" route. Whenever a wide receiver can cause a defender to stop retreating, thus giving the receiver an opportunity to get even with him while running full speed, he should be able to speed past him toward the goal line.

On the "up" route, the receiver should run up the field using his glide to get the defender into the proper position. At 12 yards, the receiver should angle his path to the outside of the defensive player. This adjustment in his pass pattern should bring the wide receiver about three yards closer to the sideline. He then should continue his route straight up the field, looking over his inside shoulder to determine the path of the ball. Ideally, the ball on an "up" pass should be thrown so that the receiver can make the reception on his outside, after it has sailed over his head.

The final deep pass pattern is the comeback" route and it is run off of the up pattern. When running a comeback route, the wide receiver should do exactly the same maneuvers as he did when running the "up." The difference is that instead of continuing up the field, the receiver breaks the pattern and comes back toward the line of scrimmage to make the reception. As the wide receiver reaches 15 yards, he should begin lowering his hips, thus allowing him to plant his foot at 17 yards, stop his momentum, turn his body toward the sideline, and come back. Once the receiver makes the reception at about 14 yards, he should be prepared to put the ball away, turn to the outside of the field, and gain as many yards as possible.

"Play Football The NFL Way" is the first Instructional Manual for Football Players and Coaches ever published by the NFL. It is the ultimate position-by-position guide of techniques and drills for Offense, Defense and Special Teams. Author Tom Bass is a former NFL coach with more than 20 years of experience with the Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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