Playbooks

Curl Flat

Shotgun·Bunch Wide·11

Flat Curl Curl Flat Pass Play Cover 2 Beater Cover 3 Beater

Play diagram for Curl Flat from Shotgun Bunch Wide in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetBunch Wide

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 5 playbooks

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Breakdown

Curl Flat out of Shotgun Bunch Wide runs a two man mesh concept to the trips side, with the outermost receiver working a deep curl at roughly 12 yards while the underneath bunch receiver releases flat to the sideline, stacking the flat defender underneath the curl sitting down over top. On the backside, the isolated X runs a vertical route up the numbers while the RB checks down into the shallow flat, giving the QB a full field alternative if the bunch side is capped. Blocking is a standard 5 man protection with the RB releasing late, and the primary read progression starts with the curl to flat high low read before working backside to the vertical or checkdown.

Defensive Reads

Pre snap, check safety depth and cornerback alignment over the bunch, since a single high safety usually signals Cover 3 while two deep safeties point to Cover 2 or Cover 4. Post snap, key the flat defender first, if he sinks under the curl route the QB should trigger the flat throw immediately before the window closes. Watch for a user controlled lurk defender sitting in the middle of the field, since he can jump the curl route if the QB stares it down too long. Against Cover 3, the curl sits in the natural void between the flat and deep third defenders, so late breaking corner blitzes or nano blitz packages are the biggest threat to disrupt timing. If the defense shows man coverage with a linebacker matched on the flat route, expect immediate separation underneath, but be alert for a disguised blitz since the RB releasing late can leave the QB exposed to interior pressure.

Usage Tips

Use this play on second and medium to second and long when you expect a zone shell, since the curl flat combo is built to attack the flat defender and hook zone linebacker at the same time.

Pre snap, identify if the defense is showing Cover 2 or Cover 3, since the flat defender getting squeezed by the bunch alignment is the key to opening the curl window.

If you see man coverage or press alignment on the bunch, hot route the curl into a slant or speed up the flat route to create quicker separation before the underneath defender can recover.

Pair this play with Cross Screen or Cheat HB Slip Screen in the same set to punish defenses that key on the curl flat mesh and crash hard on early down calls.

Use the backside vertical as a homerun shot against Cover 2 when the safety bites on the curl route, and lean on the RB checkdown versus heavy blitz looks to protect against negative plays.