Playbooks

Mtn HB Swing

Shotgun·Bunch TE·11
SwingMotionPass Play
Play diagram for Mtn HB Swing from Shotgun Bunch TE in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

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Breakdown

Mtn HB Swing is a quick motion swing pass out of the Bunch TE set in Shotgun, designed to get the ball to the running back in space immediately after the snap. The diagram shows the HB motioning out of the backfield to the flat, running a shallow swing route that arcs away from the bunch, while the rest of the formation stays in to protect. This is a zone beater and man beater hybrid built for a fast, high percentage throw, with the primary read being the HB swing out of the backfield as the first and only real progression on the play.

Defensive Reads

Watch for linebackers flowing hard with the HB motion pre-snap, this signals man coverage and tells you the swing will have a clean lane to the sideline. If the defense shows a zone shell with linebackers staying at depth and not adjusting to motion, expect a squat defender sitting on the flat ready to jump the swing route. Man beater situations come against Cover 1 or Cover 3 man match teams where the defender assigned to the HB gets picked off by the bunch alignment or simply cannot match the swing angle. This play struggles against teams that user a linebacker or slot defender specifically to lurk the flat, so if you see a defender sitting outside the tackle box before the snap be ready to check the play. Cover 2 and Cover 4 zone shells with disciplined flat defenders shut this down quickly, since the swing has nowhere to go once the flat defender squats and the sideline closes the throwing window.

Usage Tips

Use pre-snap motion on the HB to identify man versus zone before the snap, if a defender follows the motion man across the formation you know you are getting man coverage and can attack the mismatch immediately.

This play is best called on short yardage downs like 2nd or 3rd and short, or as a quick outlet against aggressive pass rush teams that bring pressure often.

Combine this with Mtn HB Stretch or HB Off Tackle from the same set to keep the defense honest on run fits since the HB alignment and motion look identical.

Pair this call with Mtn Jailbreak Screen or Mtn HB Slip Screen later in a series so defenders start jumping the swing route and get burned by the screen action instead.

Get the ball out fast off the snap, this is not a play to hold and let routes develop, the swing is designed to be a one read rhythm throw.

Other Plays in Bunch TE