We've reached the final routes in our route tree outlined below. Keep in mind there are many other routes that you'll witness during any given NFL game, but these most common routes will keep you a step ahead of the announcers and give you some unbeatable chalkboard plays for your next round of football. Now, let's delve into the Corner, Post and Go routes.
Corner (aka Flag): On this play, the receiver runs straight deep downfield before angling slightly to the corner of the end zone. (The pylon in that back corner is sometimes called the flag, explaining the aka.) For the receivers lined up wide near the sidelines, this is tougher to get the correct angle, so we often see this route from the slot receiver, who is lined up much closer to the offensive linemen. This is a strong pay in drawing coverage and is often used to beat a Cover 1 or 2 defense. It is very effective in the back of the end zone and can be seen on many Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson touchdowns.Post: Like the corner route, this also has a 45-degree angle while continuing down field, but this one cuts in to the goal post rather than to the corner.
Go (aka Fade or Fly): Just as it sounds, the go route is when the receiver takes off from the line of scrimmage and goes deep. This route tends to fade toward the sideline to allow the receiver a better chance at the ball and lessen the chance of an interception.
The Go Route was a major weapon in the Bucs' arsenal last season. Vincent Jackson ran the route 195 times, according to Pro Football Focus, which was the seventh most of all NFL players. Mike Evans was actually thrown to on Go routes 45 times, more than any other receiver in the NFL. This led to 507 yards on go routes for the Buccaneers rookie WR, which also led the NFL last year.
