Playbooks

Mtn PA Cross

Shotgun·Doubles HB Wk·11
Play ActionMotionPass PlayCrosser
Play diagram for Mtn PA Cross from Shotgun Doubles HB Wk in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

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Breakdown

Mtn PA Cross is a play-action pass out of Shotgun Doubles HB Wk that sells the run fake to the backfield before working a deep crosser and a shallow drag against the grain. The diagram shows a deep red vertical route that breaks hard to the corner, a teal crosser working from the opposite side of the field flat across the middle and settling near the sideline, and a yellow underneath route dragging all the way across at the sticks. This is a zone beater at its core since the crosser and drag stretch horizontal zone defenders and settle into passing lane voids, though the deep corner break can also win one on one against man corners who bite on the play fake. Primary read progression starts with the deep corner route off the play-action, works down to the crosser settling in the void, and checks down to the drag if the underneath defenders vacate.

Defensive Reads

Man coverage with press corners is vulnerable to the deep corner break, especially against Cover 1 or Cover 0 where there is no safety help on the sideline. Cover 3 zone defenders will often widen with the crosser, opening the drag route as the easy answer underneath if the flat defender bites on the play fake. Watch for a user linebacker sitting in the shallow crossing lane, that lurk threat is the biggest defensive read against this concept and can jump the drag or crosser if the quarterback stares it down. Robber coverage or Cover 4 with safeties sinking into the middle third will take away the deep corner route, forcing the check down to the underneath drag. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge test the play-action pass protection quickly, so identify pre-snap blitz alignment and be ready to throw the shallow drag as a quick answer if protection breaks down.

Usage Tips

Use this on early downs when the defense is keying run tendencies since the play fake and motion sell the boot action hard.

Check safety depth pre-snap, if both safeties are sitting deep in a two high shell the crosser and drag will have more room to work underneath before the corner route ever comes open.

Hot route the underneath drag into a deeper route if you are facing zone heavy defenses that flood the shallow area with linebackers.

Pair this with Y Cross and Double Cross from the same set so the defense cannot key on the crosser tendency, then mix in RPO Peek Slant or RPO Zone Alert Bubble to punish aggressive run blitz reads.

Look to attack the far hash with the deep corner route when facing single high safety looks, since the corner has no help over the top in that shell.

Other Plays in Doubles HB Wk