Playbooks

Shark HB Wheel

Shotgun·Doubles Offset·11

Wheel Pass Play Comeback Post Drag Crosser In

Play diagram for Shark HB Wheel from Shotgun Doubles Offset in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetDoubles Offset

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 1 playbook

Balanced Pass OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Shark HB Wheel out of Shotgun Doubles Offset shows a four man route concept designed to attack man coverage with a wheel route out of the backfield. The HB releases out of the backfield and wheels up the sideline for the deep shot, while the two receivers on the wheel side clear out with deep crossers running away from the wheel to drag defenders out of the throwing lane, and the backside X runs a comeback breaking outside. This is a man beater built around the HB wheel isolating a linebacker or slower defender in space, with the primary read progression going first to the wheel route against a blown coverage or linebacker matchup, then working backside to the comeback if the wheel is not open.

Defensive Reads

Man coverage with a linebacker assigned to the HB is the biggest green light, the wheel route wins almost every time a linebacker tries to run with it vertically. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender can jump the wheel route early, so watch for a corner or safety sitting in the flat zone before you commit to that side. Two deep safety shells like Cover 2 or Cover 4 give you a clean look at the backside comeback since the deep half defender will be occupied by the clearing routes. Post snap, key any user controlled defender crashing down on the HB out of the backfield, this usually signals a blitz or a spy that can disrupt the wheel timing. Zone blitzes with a linebacker dropping into the flat can undercut the wheel route, so be ready to climb your eyes to the comeback route if you see extra rushers and a delayed drop from the underneath zone defender.

Usage Tips

Check pre-snap for linebackers lined up over the HB since this play is designed to exploit any linebacker who has to run with the wheel down the sideline.

Look for man coverage indicators like defenders lined up across from receivers with no safety help over the top on the wheel side of the field.

If you see two deep safeties in a split shell, be ready to check to the backside comeback route instead of forcing the wheel into zone traffic.

Use hot routes to release the HB immediately off the snap so he can build speed before the linebacker reacts, this is critical against man teams that blitz.

Pair this play with Fake Screen Wheel or HB Slip Screen earlier in a series so defenses start keying on the HB in the backfield, then hit them with the actual wheel route for a big play once they bite on the screen fake.