Playbooks

Double Cross

Shotgun·Doubles HB Wk·11

Crosser Pass Play

Play diagram for Double Cross from Shotgun Doubles HB Wk in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetDoubles HB Wk

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 2 playbooks

Cardinals OffenseOffense NFL Live Cardinals OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Double Cross is a Shotgun Doubles HB Wk pass play built around two crossing routes underneath and a deep vertical from the backside X receiver. Off the left the X runs a vertical seam while the inside slot and TE both work crossing routes at different depths, with the outside slot receiver on the strong side clearing out on a corner route and the RB releasing on a flat route to the boundary. This is primarily a man beater since the two crossers stress man defenders through natural picks, though the deep vertical also punishes single high safety looks, and your primary read progression starts with the deep shot to the X on the backside before working back to the short crosser and settling on the flat route as the checkdown.

Defensive Reads

Identify single high safety shells pre-snap, this play is designed to attack Cover 1 and Cover 3 with the deep backside vertical route Watch the strong side flat defender post-snap, if he sinks too deep the shallow crosser will have a wide throwing window underneath Key the middle linebacker's drop depth, a shallow zone drop can clog the crossing routes and force you to check down early to the flat User controlled defenders sitting in the shallow zone or spying the crosser can jump the route and bait an interception if the quarterback stares it down too long Cover 2 with a hard flat defender can take away the flat route completely, so be ready to layer the throw over the top to the crosser working away from that flat defender

Usage Tips

Take a pre-snap peek at the backside cornerback leverage before the snap, if he is playing outside shade or bailing off the line the deep X vertical is live for a big play

Use this play on second and long or third and medium situations where defenses expect intermediate zone drops, the crossers create natural rubs against man coverage that linebackers struggle to stay attached through

Hot route the flat route from the RB into a quick out if you see a blitz look, this gives you a fast release valve against pressure

Pair Double Cross with Y Cross or Portland Mesh in the same set to keep defenses guessing between different crossing patterns, this forces defenders to respect multiple levels of the field

Against zone coverage look to hit the shallow crosser in the void between the underneath linebacker drop and the flat defender, timing the throw before the far side zone defender can close