There is a distinct difference between a receiver running a post pattern and a skinny post.

On a deep post (or just post, for short), the receiver drives upfield for 15 yards and breaks to the deep middle of the field. The landmark the receiver runs to is usually the near upright. The QB takes a deep, seven-step drop and launches it high and deep. The ball will be caught anywhere from about 50 to 55 yards downfield. The decision the QB makes to throw this ball is based on whether or not the safety has vacated his deep zone, either by “taking the cheese” to cover an underneath route or by having to pick up a man in blitz coverage.

A skinny post is a precise timing route thrown with anticipation to a specific area. The receiver drives upfield and, on his seventh step, breaks inside on a very thin (or “skinny”) angle toward the middle of the field. It's also called a “thin” post. By breaking only slightly he will gain inside position on the corner and still be able to maintain a safe distance from the safety, who will be looking to knock his head off when the ball arrives. This is why range is so a valuable for a safety. A hard-hitting safety with range like Bob Sanders or Troy Polamalu is able to squeeze the zones on these type of timing routes.

The QB takes a quick, five-step drop and throws a dart to an area about 18-20 yards downfield over the linebacker and in between the corner and safety. The other job the QB has is to hold the safety in the middle of the field with his eyes to help preserve the health of his receiver. This is not an easy pass to complete for a young quarterback. Yet, this year on opening day, on the first pass of his first NFL game, Matt Ryan connected on a skinny post with Michael Jenkins for a 62-yard TD. That was a good indication that Ryan might have a pretty good feel for this NFL thing.