Playbooks

Return Spacing

Shotgun·Bunch Str Offset·11
SpacingMotionPass PlayCover 3 BeaterCover 4 Beater
Play diagram for Return Spacing from Shotgun Bunch Str Offset in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 3 playbooks

Redskins OffenseOffenseShotgun Classic OffenseOffenseNFL Live Redskins OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Return Spacing lines up from Shotgun Bunch Str Offset with 11 personnel, using a jet motion man across the formation before the snap to help identify man versus zone coverage. At the snap the bunch releases into a stacked spacing concept, with one receiver sitting on a shallow out, another running a quick hitch, and the third climbing to a hi-lo read over the middle while the motion receiver clears out on a deep vertical to widen the defense. This is a classic zone beater built for Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells, and the primary read progression starts with the shallow spacing routes before working up to the vertical clear-out if the defense collapses down on the flat.

Defensive Reads

Key the flat defender at the snap, if he sinks with the motion man's vertical release the shallow out and hitch are wide open underneath. Watch linebacker depth before the snap, shallow linebackers signal a Cover 3 zone that will struggle to cover all three levels of the spacing concept. If the corner over the bunch presses and mirrors the motion man in man coverage, expect a nano blitz or man match scheme and get the ball out on the quick hitch immediately. Look for a user controlled defender sitting in the middle hook zone, this lurk threat can jump the hi-lo climbing route so have a checkdown to the shallow out ready. Against Cover 4, the deep safeties will hold their landmarks, so if the underneath defenders overcommit to the run fake or motion, the spacing routes will settle into soft zone windows for easy completions.

Usage Tips

Use the pre-snap motion to bait defenders into showing man coverage, if a defender runs with the motion man across the formation you know its man and can hot route the shallow out into a slant for an easy conversion.

Against Cover 3, target the sit and hitch routes in the spacing concept since the flat defender and curl defender both have to respect the vertical stretch created by the motion man.

This play excels on second and short or third and short since the spacing concept gives you three quick, high percentage completions underneath.

Pair this with Return RPO Flat or Return RPO Alert Flat earlier in a series so the defense has to respect the run action out of the same bunch look before you come back to Return Spacing off zone drops.

If the defense shows Cover 4 shells with deep safeties sitting flat footed, throw the shallow out or hitch quickly before the underneath defenders can react to the spacing distribution.

Other Plays in Bunch Str Offset