Playbooks

Double Slant Stick

Shotgun·Empty Base Trio·11

Slant Stick Stick Concept Pass Play

Play diagram for Double Slant Stick from Shotgun Empty Base Trio in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetEmpty Base Trio

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 11 playbooks

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Breakdown

Double Slant Stick is an Empty Base Trio concept out of the Shotgun with five receivers spread wide and no running back help, so it is a pure man and zone beater built for quick, timing based throws. On the left side, the inside receiver runs a slant while the outside receiver runs a quick slant to the flat area, and the trio on the right runs a classic stick concept with an outside receiver flaring to the flat, a vertical seam release, and a crossing hitch that settles across the middle. The isolated receiver in the slot runs a short vertical stem to occupy an underneath defender. Primary progression starts with the stick concept flat route as the first read, works to the crossing hitch sitting down in the middle, then comes back to the double slants on the opposite side if the stick side is capped.

Defensive Reads

Watch for corners jumping the outside slant route on the closed side, that tips man coverage and signals you should pivot to the stick flat or crossing hitch instead. Read the flat defender on the stick side pre-snap, if he is sitting at five yards or deeper, the flat route to the outside stick receiver is open immediately for a quick pitch and catch. Track the middle linebacker depth post-snap, a shallow drop means the crossing hitch will be contested, so widen your eyes to the double slants on the backside. Beware of user-controlled defenders lurking in the shallow crossing lanes, since the hitch route sitting down in the middle is a prime target for a spy or rat linebacker jumping the route. Against Cover 2 shells, the double slants on the left can get squeezed by the underneath zone defender, so anticipate throwing with anticipation before the window closes rather than waiting for full separation.

Usage Tips

Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing two high or single high safety because the stick concept flat and hitch combo consistently wins against single high man coverage.

If you see Cover 3 or Cover 4 zone drops, key on the crossing hitch settling into the void between the flat defender and the linebacker, that route sits down for an easy conversion throw.

Use the double slants against man coverage on the closed side, especially if the corner is playing off, since both slants create natural picks and rubs on inside linebackers.

Hot route the isolated vertical stem receiver into a quick out or drag if you see a blitz look, since that receiver has no route depth to occupy a blitzing defender otherwise.

Pair this play with Stick Nod or Shock Levels in your play-calling sequence, since both share a similar pre-snap look but attack different levels, forcing defenders to hesitate on their run fits and coverage rotations.