Playbooks

HB Slip Screen

Shotgun·Bunch·11

Screen Pass Hb Screen Pass Play

Play diagram for HB Slip Screen from Shotgun Bunch in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetBunch

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

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Breakdown

HB Slip Screen out of Shotgun Bunch is a designed screen pass that slips the HB out to the flat while the offensive line initially sets up a pass pocket look before releasing to lead block downfield. The three bunch receivers run a vertical clearing route, a corner route, and an out breaking route to pull second and third level defenders away from the screen zone, while the backside receiver bends inside on a short crossing route to occupy underneath defenders. This is a classic zone beater designed to bait aggressive zone drops and blitzes, with the primary read being the HB in the flat as soon as the linemen release, and the crossing route as a checkdown outlet if the screen is sniffed out.

Defensive Reads

Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they sit back in soft zone drops instead of attacking downhill, the screen lane to the flat will be wide open. Key the flat defender or nickel corner, if they stay engaged with the crossing route or bite on the vertical clear route, the HB screen has a clean release. Identify Cover 2 or Cover 3 shells pre-snap, since these zone concepts are most vulnerable to the delayed screen action versus tight man coverage. Beware of user controlled defensive linemen who diagnose screens quickly and stay home instead of rushing, since they can blow up the play before blockers get set. Look for blitz packages that send extra defenders off the edge, if the play side flow overloads quickly the HB will have no room to work after the catch.

Usage Tips

Call this play when you see zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4 that drop linebackers off the line and open up the flat for the HB release.

Use this against aggressive user blitzers who key the QB immediately after the snap, since the delayed line release punishes fast pass rush commits.

Hot route the backside crosser into a quick out if you diagnose man coverage pre-snap, since the natural screen blocking won't hold up long against edge pressure.

Pair this with Bunch Verts or Curls Attack earlier in a series so the defense respects verticals from bunch alignment, making the screen hit harder once linebackers start sitting deeper.

Best used on early downs or after a big vertical shot play when the defense is playing off coverage and susceptible to shorter, high percentage throws.

Avoid calling this into interior nano blitzes that crash inside linemen quickly, since it removes your leverage blockers before they can get outside to the flat.