Playbooks

Stick

Shotgun·Bunch·11

Stick Stick Concept Pass Play

Play diagram for Stick from Shotgun Bunch in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetBunch

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 1 playbook

West Coast OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Stick out of Shotgun Bunch sends the bunch alignment into a classic Stick concept on the closed side while the backside receiver runs a deep comeback. From the bunch, one receiver breaks outside to the flat, another sits down on a stick route at the sticks, and the third climbs vertically up the seam before working outside for the corner route look on the far side of the field. This is a man beater that also stresses zone defenders by attacking the flat, hook, and deep third all at once, so the primary read progression starts with the stick route in the underneath window, moves to the flat if the stick is taken away by an underneath defender, and works to the deep comeback or seam route if the defense drops into a deep shell and vacates the intermediate area.

Defensive Reads

Watch the middle linebacker depth at the snap, if he sinks hard to the stick route immediately, hit the flat route underneath him for a quick easy gain. Identify two high safeties before the snap, that alignment usually means the defense is sitting in a zone shell that leaves the stick and flat combo wide open underneath. Man coverage with a single high safety is the toughest look for this concept since it allows a defender to sit on the stick route while the flat defender mirrors the outside break, look immediately to the backside comeback or seam route in that situation. Key the slot corner or nickel defender in the bunch, if he blitzes off the edge that is a sign of a nano blitz package, get the ball out fast on the flat or stick route before the protection breaks down. If a user controlled linebacker sits in the passing lane between the stick and flat routes, look off that defender with your eyes then come back to the flat route to bait him out of position.

Usage Tips

Check the pre-snap alignment of the linebacker over the bunch to see if he is going to sink under the stick route or widen to the flat, that will tell you which underneath throw is open immediately.

Against man coverage, hot route the stick runner to a shallow drag if you see a fast slot corner locked in the bunch, this creates natural rub traffic and gets easy separation.

On third and medium, prioritize the stick route sit read since it settles right around the sticks and gives you a high percentage conversion throw against both zone and man.

Pair this call with Bunch Verts or Bunch Sail earlier in a series so the defense respects the vertical shot, then come back to Stick to attack shallow when safeties start rolling deep.

If you see two high safeties pre-snap, work the comeback route on the backside since single coverage on an island is easier to win against a soft corner playing off.