Playbooks

Smash Return

Shotgun·Bunch·11
SmashMotionPass PlayCover 2 Beater
Play diagram for Smash Return from Shotgun Bunch in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

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Breakdown

Smash Return is a Cover 2 beater out of Shotgun Bunch that uses a corner route and a return route from the bunch to attack the deep half. The bunch releases with the outside receiver running a corner route to the boundary while the middle bunch receiver runs a return (deep out and up) route that sits behind it, creating a high low stretch on the flat and deep defender. The lone receiver to the closed side runs an in cut behind the line while the backfield player runs a swing/wheel route out of the backfield to the open side, giving you a flood concept away from the bunch. Blocking is pass protection with the running back releasing, so this is a five man protection drop back concept designed to hold the corner and safety in a smash relationship while working the flood side as the alternate progression.

Defensive Reads

Read the safety over the bunch first, if he stays flat footed at the snap and does not widen with the corner route you have a clean throwing lane against Cover 2 or Cover 4. Watch the flat defender to the bunch side, if he sinks under the corner and ignores the return route sitting behind him you can hit the return route for a quick completion underneath. On the backside, key the linebacker assigned to the running back's wheel route, if he is late to react or gets picked off by traffic near the line you have a big play opportunity down the sideline. This play struggles against a hard robber or a Cover 3 look with a deep third defender sitting exactly where the corner route wants to go, so check for a single high safety shading toward the bunch presnap as a warning sign. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the backside edge can beat the five man protection quickly, so know your hot route or check down to the return route if you feel pressure before the corner route develops.

Usage Tips

Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing two deep safeties, this play is built to attack that exact shell by stacking a corner route on top of the return route to the bunch side. If you see man coverage instead, check the backside flood since the wheel route from the backfield can win versus linebackers who struggle to carry it vertically. Use motion out of the bunch before the snap to force the defense to declare zone or man, if the defender follows across the formation you know you are getting man and should prioritize the flood side. This play works best on second and medium to second and long where you have room to take the deeper corner shot but still have a quick underneath answer if the blitz shows. Pair this with Bunch Sail or Bunch Verts in your play calling sequence, since both look similar out of the bunch pre snap but attack different levels, forcing the defense to respect multiple vertical stems from the same formation.

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