Playbooks

Stick

Shotgun·Empty Ace·12

Stick Stick Concept Pass Play

Play diagram for Stick from Shotgun Empty Ace in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetEmpty Ace

Personnel

121 RB · 2 TE · 2 WR

In 9 playbooks

Jets OffenseOffense Shotgun OffenseOffense Sim Focusedtargeting Ba OffenseOffense Sim Focusedtargeting Ph OffenseOffense Sim Focusedtargeting Rn OffenseOffense Sim Volumedistribution Ba OffenseOffense Sim Volumedistribution Ph OffenseOffense Sim Volumedistribution Rn OffenseOffense NFL Live Jets OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Stick out of Empty Ace deploys five receivers with no back in the backfield, spreading the defense horizontally to create clean throwing lanes. The left side runs a vertical seam and a flat route crossing underneath it, the inline TE runs a quick stick route to the sticks, and the right side stacks a deep out breaking away from a corner route with an underneath flat route working the sideline. This is a classic zone beater built to stress hook and curl defenders with the stick concept while also giving the QB a hot man beater on the corner route versus press or off man coverage, with the primary read starting on the stick/flat combo to the trips side before working to the corner route on the boundary.

Defensive Reads

Identify single-high versus two-high pre-snap, single-high leaves the corner route on an island against the deep half defender and is the biggest exploit for this concept. Watch the flat defender at the snap, if he sinks with the vertical seam route the stick route window opens up immediately for an easy completion. Key the play side linebacker depth, shallow linebackers who crash the stick route leave the seam wide open behind them for a big chunk gain. Beware disguised Cover 6 or quarters shells where the corner rolls down to jump the corner route, this is the primary defensive answer that shuts down the boundary shot. Look for a lurking user defender sitting in the stick window since aggressive human defenders will bait the QB into a pick if the hole route is thrown late or off rhythm.

Usage Tips

Check pre-snap for two-high shells since the corner route on the closed side will win big against single-high safety rotations that leave the boundary corner isolated.

Use the stick route as your rhythm throw versus zone coverage, it settles into the hole between the flat defender and the hook defender and is nearly impossible to take away in Cover 3 or Cover 4.

Hot route the backside seam runner to a slant or shorter drag if you are facing heavy pressure looks, this gives the QB a faster clock beater against Mable or other nano blitz packages out of empty.

This play shines on third and medium to third and long since the stick route sits right at the sticks and the corner route provides a shot play answer if the defense sells out on underneath coverage.

Pair this with a quick game throw like Curl Flats earlier in the drive to set up defenders biting on the flat routes, then come back to Stick to hit the corner route deep once you have their linebackers cheating downhill.