Playbooks

Mtn Fk Toss Verticals

Shotgun·Bunch Str Offset·11

Toss Play Action Four Verts Motion Cover 2 Beater Cover 3 Beater Pass Play

Play diagram for Mtn Fk Toss Verticals from Shotgun Bunch Str Offset in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetBunch Str Offset

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 5 playbooks

Cardinals OffenseOffense Redskins OffenseOffense Shotgun Classic OffenseOffense NFL Live Cardinals OffenseOffense NFL Live Redskins OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Mtn Fk Toss Verticals is a play-action shot play out of Shotgun Bunch Str Offset that sells a toss run to the strong side before the QB pulls it back and pushes vertical. The bunch receivers release into a four verticals concept: the two inside bunch routes climb straight up the seams while the outside receiver bends a deep out breaking route toward the sideline, and the backside single receiver rips straight downfield on an isolated vertical. The HB fakes the toss action and leaks out to the flat as a checkdown, giving the offense a run fake, four vertical shots, and a safety valve in the same play. Primary read progression starts with the seam routes off the bunch, works to the backside vertical if the safety rotates over, and checks down to the HB in the flat if the coverage sinks deep.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, check both safeties, two high alignment tells you Cover 2 or Cover 4 and you should target the seam routes between the corner and rotating safety. If you see one deep safety with corners playing tight to the bunch, that is Cover 3 or Cover 1, attack the backside vertical since it is often isolated without over the top help. Post-snap, watch for a user controlled safety sitting on the seam routes, that lurk defender is the biggest threat to this concept and forces you to work the checkdown or the outside breaking route instead. Key the linebackers immediately after the snap, if they bite hard on the toss fake and fail to get depth in coverage, the inside seam will be wide open before the safety can rotate over. Watch for a hard edge blitz or contain defender crashing down on the fake toss, if the edge is unblocked the QB needs to get through his read quickly or dump it to the HB in the flat.

Usage Tips

Look at safety depth before the snap, if both safeties are sitting deep and tight this is a great shot to test Cover 2 by throwing the seam behind the corner and in front of the rotating safety.

Use the toss fake to hold linebackers and slot defenders for a beat, that extra hesitation is what opens the inside seam window against man coverage.

Save this play for third and medium to third and long or shot situations off first down play calling tendencies, since the run fake loses value if the defense is clearly sitting on pass.

Pair this with Mtn Lead Toss or HB Mtn QB Sweep earlier in a series so the defense respects the toss action and bites harder on the fake when you dial up Verticals.

If the corner mirrors the bunch outside route in man, hot route the backside single receiver into a quick out or use him as your first read since he is isolated one on one with no safety help over the top in Cover 3.