Dagger

Dagger is one of the best passing concepts in football and can be run against a multitude of coverages. There are several versions of it as well as many ways to dress it up. In this breakdown, I’ll show you a few creative examples.

The play design is simple. It includes a clear-out route to knock the top off the defense and then puts a second-level defender into a high-low conflict between a deep-in and a shallow route. Below, you can see the concept illustrated:

You’ll notice that the underneath route is coming from the backfield here. But that route can come from anywhere. Often, it’s a shallow crosser from the other side of the formation.

The Bears defense was in quarters coverage on this play, so the safety to the side of the Dagger was responsible for the #2 vertical (the clear-out). That was a post on this play, but it’s often a go-route. Either way, it removed the safety: