Playbooks

Verticals

Shotgun·Bunch Wide·11
Four VertsPass PlayCover 2 BeaterCover 3 Beater
Play diagram for Verticals from Shotgun Bunch Wide in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

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Breakdown

Verticals out of Shotgun Bunch Wide sends four receivers vertically to stretch the field, with the bunch (three receivers stacked tight) releasing into a seam, a wheel to the sideline, and a deep out breaking route, while the backside X runs a solo vertical up the numbers. The lone RB stays in to check release and pass protect against the four man rush, keeping this a true dropback pass concept with no play-action or RPO element shown. This is a classic Cover 2 and Cover 3 beater, attacking the deep thirds and the middle void between the safeties, with the primary read starting on the backside single receiver vertical and working to the inside seam route if the safety bites outside.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, check safety depth and width, if both safeties are shaded toward the boundary or shallow, the inside seam and backside vertical have a clear throwing lane. Post-snap, watch for a user controlled safety sitting in the deep middle, this is the biggest threat to the inside seam route and usually signals Cover 3 or Cover 1 robber. Look for outside cornerbacks playing off man technique with inside shade, this tells you the sideline wheel route has room to work before the corner can recover. If the defense shows a two high shell that rotates down into a blitz, expect a linebacker or slot corner to jump the underneath breaking route, so be ready to hot route it into a checkdown or throw off timing before the pressure arrives. Zone defenses with deep half safeties who bail hard at the snap will struggle to cover the width created by four verticals, but disciplined Cover 4 quarters looks can take away every route if the corners and safeties stay in phase.

Usage Tips

Identify the deep safety alignment before the snap, if you see two high safeties cheating outside the numbers, the inside seam route from the bunch will split them for an explosive gain.

Use hot routes to convert the flat breaking route into a deep comeback or sit route if you diagnose Cover 3 with a hard flat defender, this keeps the concept balanced against zone drops.

Against man coverage, trust the backside single receiver vertical to win one on one, especially if the defense shows single high safety look with no help over the top.

This play hits best on second and long or third and long situations when the defense is more likely to play a soft zone shell, so avoid calling it into obvious run down looks.

Pair Verticals with Curl Flat or Spacing from the same set to keep the defense honest, if they start jumping the verticals after seeing it once, dial up the shorter zone beaters to force underneath completions.

Other Plays in Bunch Wide