Playbooks

Bunch Open TE

Shotgun·11

SpecialistsGadgetSLWR

Set alignment for Bunch Open TE from Shotgun in Madden 27

At a Glance

FormationShotgun

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

Plays16

In 8 playbooks

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Overview

Bunch Open TE is a Shotgun 11 personnel look that stacks a three-man bunch cluster to one side, with the tight end working inside the bunch alongside two receivers, while a lone receiver splits wide to the open backside. The running back aligns next to the quarterback, so defenses have to respect both the run and the quick game. Other Shotgun sets spread the field evenly, but this one creates natural traffic at the snap. That traffic generates rubs, picks, and free releases that are hard to handle in press man.

The personnel alignment is what makes the set dangerous. Putting the tight end in the bunch forces the defense to decide whether a linebacker or safety covers him. That often leaves a slower defender matched against a slot receiver on the whip or trail release. Meanwhile, the backside X receiver sits isolated against a single cornerback. Once the defense rotates safety help toward the bunch, a WR1 on the backside gets pure one-on-one looks on RPO bubbles, Z Spot, and Clearout Z Option.

Conceptually, the set covers a lot of ground. It includes spot and snag triangles (Z Spot, Mtn RPO Read Snag, Mtn Mesh Spot) and flood variations (Flood, Same Side Zone, Sprint Double Out). It also has a full RPO package (RPO Alert Bubble, RPO Zone Alert Bubble, RPO Peek WR Screen) plus gadget constraints like Fake Screen Verticals, HB Slip Screen, and HB Draw. Together these let you punish defenders who overplay the bunch and keep second level defenders honest.

Strengths

Z Spot and Mtn Mesh Spot build high low triangles out of the bunch that beat Cover 3 and Cover 4 flats, and the bunch release creates natural rubs against Cover 1 and Cover 0 man.
The backside isolated receiver is a built in man beater, so hot routing a slant or fade against a single high look with the safety rotated to the bunch creates free completions.
RPO Alert Bubble, RPO Zone Alert Bubble, and RPO Peek WR Screen give pre snap and post snap answers to light boxes, letting you take free yards when the defense stacks the bunch side.
Flood, Same Side Zone, and Sprint Double Out stretch zone coverage vertically on one side, overloading cloud flats and hook curl defenders in Cover 2 and Cover 3.
Gadget constraints like Fake Screen Verticals, HB Slip Screen, and Dig Return punish defenses that sit on the quick game, especially users who jump the bubble or flat.

Weaknesses

The compressed bunch lets defenses play banjo or bunch match techniques, where one defender takes the first outside release and another takes the first inside release, which removes the rub advantage.
Only the running back is left for extra protection, so edge pressure and nano blitzes off the open side overload the protection before deeper concepts like Y Trail or Flood can develop.
A user controlled defender sitting in the flat or a robber zone can jump the spot, snag, and bubble reads that the set relies on, turning quick throws into pick sixes.
The tight end is tied to the bunch, so the run game lacks a dedicated edge blocker to the open side, and heavy boxes can stuff the HB Draw and zone RPO give.
Opponents who shade coverage toward the bunch and press the backside receiver can take away both halves of the field if your isolated receiver lacks release and speed ratings.

Usage Tips

Before the snap, read the bunch side defenders: if you see off coverage and a single cornerback outside the bunch, throw RPO Alert Bubble or Z Spot, and if the defense presses, work the rubs out of Mtn Mesh Spot.

Use this set on 2nd and medium or 3rd and short where the spot and snag triangles reliably convert, and save Flood and Sprint Double Out for 3rd and 6 to 9 against Cover 3.

If a safety rotates toward the bunch, hot route the backside isolated receiver to a slant or streak for an easy man beater, especially against Cover 1 and Cover 0 blitzes.

Against heavy blitz, audible to HB Slip Screen or RPO Peek WR Screen, or block the running back and tight end to protect long enough for Y Trail and Clearout Z Option to develop.

Once your opponent's user starts jumping the bubble and flat routes, call Fake Screen Verticals or Dig Return to punish the aggressive defender and open up the rest of the playbook.