Playbooks

Verticals

Shotgun·Bunch·11
Four VertsPass PlayCover 2 BeaterCover 3 BeaterDeep CrossCrosserFadeOption RouteStreakWheel
Play diagram for Verticals from Shotgun Bunch in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

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Breakdown

Verticals out of Shotgun Bunch sends four receivers vertically to stress the deep half of the field, a classic Four Verts concept built to attack Cover 2 and Cover 3 shells. The bunch alignment releases the inside receiver on a deep out breaking route toward the sideline while the other three bunch receivers and the backside X all push straight up the seams and numbers. The RB stays in to check release and protect, giving the QB a clean vertical stretch read from inside seam to outside vertical, working high to low on the safety who has to pick his poison in two deep or three deep zones.

Defensive Reads

Identify two deep safeties pre-snap and widen your zone drops immediately at the snap to force the corners to stay on top of the outside verticals rather than sinking into the seams. Key the middle linebacker's depth: if he sinks late or bites on a play fake, the inside seam route will sit down right behind him for an easy completion window. Watch for a single high safety rotating late, which signals man coverage underneath and means the user should look to jump the breaking route out of the bunch since that is the first route to declare. Against Cover 3, spot drop your flat defender wide enough to threaten the sideline vertical while your deep third defenders split the difference between the seams to avoid a simple throw down the pipe. This play is neutralized by a two deep shell with disciplined seam runners who stay on top of routes and a linebacker who drops into the seam window instead of biting on run action.

Usage Tips

Use this on early downs or second and long when the defense is likely to sit in a two deep or three deep shell rather than crash the box. Pre-snap, check the safety alignment: if both safeties are deep and cheating to the middle, target the seam route away from the rotation for the explosive shot play. Hot route the flare or breaking route from the bunch to a quick option against man coverage if you see a single high safety walk down, since that route becomes a natural man beater against tight bump coverage. Pair this play call with Bunch Sail or Bunch Trail in the same set so the defense has to respect both the vertical stretch and the underneath sail concept, keeping linebackers and safeties honest on their run fits. Against Cover 3, throw off the seam that splits the two outside deep thirds defenders, since that is the softest spot in the shell created by four verticals occupying every deep zone landmark.

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