Playbooks

Curl Combo

Shotgun·Empty Base Trio·11

Curl Pass Play

Play diagram for Curl Combo from Shotgun Empty Base Trio in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetEmpty Base Trio

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

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Breakdown

Curl Combo is a five man empty protection pass concept out of Shotgun Empty Base Trio, using 11 personnel with three receivers stacked to one side and two isolated to the other. Both outside receivers push vertically before breaking down into curls at roughly ten to twelve yards, while the inside slot receiver on the trio side runs a quick out to the flat to stretch the underneath defender horizontally. The lone receiver on the two man side runs a short in cut that settles across the middle as a check down option against zone drops. This is a zone beater at its core, designed to sit receivers down in the soft spots of Cover 3 or Cover 2, with the primary read starting on the backside curl route before working to the trio side curl and finally the underneath in route as a checkdown.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing two high safeties or a single high safety, since Curl Combo is most effective against two high shells like Cover 2 and Cover 4 where the curls settle in soft spots. Post-snap, key the flat defender on the trio side, if he widens too quickly to jump the flat route the backside curl window opens up immediately. Watch for user controlled linebackers dropping into the shallow in cut, since a smart user will sit on that route and bait a checkdown throw for a pick six. Against Cover 3, look for the curl to sink in behind the underneath zone defender but in front of the deep third corner, if the corner sits too shallow that throwing window disappears fast. Be wary of disguised man blitzes since this is empty protection with five defenders in coverage responsibilities, a well timed blitz off the edge with no back to chip can collapse the pocket before curls develop.

Usage Tips

Diagnose the coverage shell before the snap by checking safety depth, if you see two deep safeties expect Cover 2 or Cover 4 and prioritize the curl routes sitting in the honey hole between the corner and linebacker level.

Use the backside curl as your first read since it usually isolates against a single defender in Cover 3, giving you a clean throwing window if the corner sinks too deep.

Hot route the flat runner into a shallow drag if you diagnose man coverage, since the natural pick action from the trio bunch can spring him open against man beaters like Cover 1 or Cover 0.

Pair this play with All Curl or Shock Levels in your play calling sequence to keep the defense guessing between full field curls and combo curls, forcing linebackers to widen their zone drops.

Best used on second or third and medium situations where sitting down in a zone window is more valuable than a low probability shot play, especially against defenses that show heavy zone shells pre-snap.