Playbooks

PA Boot

Pistol·Open Flex·11

Play Action Pass Play

Play diagram for PA Boot from Pistol Open Flex in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationPistol

SetOpen Flex

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 2 playbooks

Franchise Offense FourminutedrillOffense Pistol OffenseOffense

Breakdown

PA Boot from Pistol Open Flex is a play action rollout that sells the run fake before the QB boots to the right edge. Off the fake, the play sends two receivers deep on the backside (a corner route and a deep crosser breaking left) while the TE runs a flat route and the HB releases into a check down route in front of the rolling QB. It is primarily a man beater on the backside deep shots but the underneath flat and check down give the QB answers versus zone drops, with the tight end blocking to the right initially before releasing. The primary read progression starts with the two deep backside routes, then works down to the flat, and finishes with the HB check down as the outlet.

Defensive Reads

Watch the flow of the linebackers after the snap, if they bite hard on the run fake it opens up the flat and check down routes immediately. Identify if the defense drops into a zone shell like Cover 3 or Cover 4, since the deep backside routes can be recognized by a deep half or deep third defender sitting on the crosser. Key the flat defender's positioning, a Cover 2 or Tampa 2 look will have a corner sitting low which can jump the tight end's flat route if the QB does not move on time. Look for edge blitzes or contain defenders crashing off the play side, since a disciplined edge rusher can blow up the boot action and force the QB to throw off platform. Man coverage with no safety help over the top on the backside corner route is the ideal look to beat, but watch for a user controlled defender spying the QB roll to jump the flat or check down.

Usage Tips

Use this on early downs or second and medium when defenses are still respecting the run fake from Pistol formation.

Check pre-snap for single high safety looks since the deep crosser and corner route on the backside can stress a Cover 3 or Cover 1 shell if the corner bites on the play fake.

Roll the QB outside the pocket using the right stick to extend the play and buy time for the deep routes to develop, especially against man coverage that gets picked off by the rub at the top of the routes.

Hot route the flat defender's man to a shallow drag if you see Cover 2 sitting the corner on the flat route, giving you an easy underneath conversion.

Pair this with HB Zone Wk or Inside Zone Split earlier in a series to sell the run action, then call PA Boot to punish defenders keying the backfield fake.