Playbooks

PA Flood

Pistol·Strong·21

Play Action Flood Pass Play Cover 3 Beater

Play diagram for PA Flood from Pistol Strong in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationPistol

SetStrong

Personnel

212 RB · 1 TE · 2 WR

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Breakdown

PA Flood out of Pistol Strong 21 personnel shows a classic three-level flood concept to the right side off play-action. The outside receiver runs a deep vertical clear-out, the TE or slot runs a corner route from the backfield area up to the numbers, and the flanker releases underneath into a shallow flat route, stacking the same side with three distinct depths. On the backside, a single receiver runs a quick out breaking route while the run fake to the HB sells the box before the QB pivots to the flood side. This is a play-action, Cover 3 beater built to overload one half of the field, with the primary read progressing from the deep vertical to the intermediate corner and settling on the flat as the checkdown.

Defensive Reads

Pre snap, identify if the strong side safety is cheating toward the flood side, which signals a possible Cover 3 buzz call designed to jump the corner route. Watch the flat defender or curl to flat linebacker at the snap, since if he sinks with the corner route the underneath flat man is wide open for an easy pitch and catch. Key the deep third or deep half safety leverage on the vertical clear-out route, because if he bites on the play-action run fake there is a window over the top for the corner route to sit down behind him. This concept struggles against a two high shell that stays two high post snap, since that gives the defense numbers to cover all three levels on the flood side without rotating. Beware of a nano blitz off the edge on the play-action side, since the extra rusher can collapse the pocket before the QB clears his first read to the corner route.

Usage Tips

Use this on early downs when you have already established the HB Power or HB Off Tackle run game from this same Strong set to make the play-action fake believable to the linebackers. Check the deep safety alignment before the snap: if you see two high safeties rotate to single high after the snap, that confirms Cover 3 and this flood concept will stress the deep third defender immediately. Hot route the backside receiver into a hitch or slant if you expect man coverage, since the flood concept alone is not built to beat tight man from a press corner. Progress read from the corner route defender first since he decides the leverage on both the deep vertical and the flat, then work down to the flat route as your safety valve versus a hard blitz. Pair this play in sequence with Orbit PA Wheel or PA Boot Lt from the same set so linebackers cannot sit on the flood tendency once they have seen it on tape.