Playbooks

986

Shotgun·Empty Base·11

Pass Play Four Verts Go Corner Out Seam Cover 2 Beater Cover 3 Beater

Play diagram for 986 from Shotgun Empty Base in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetEmpty Base

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 2 playbooks

Madden OffenseOffense Superstar HB Receiving

Breakdown

986 out of Shotgun Empty Base lines up five receivers with no back in the backfield, spreading the defense sideline to sideline. From the diagram, the two receivers to the left run a deep out and a corner route breaking toward the sideline, the middle two receivers push vertical seams with one bending into a deep dig, and the far right receiver runs a straight go route (the red line) up the numbers while the last outside receiver runs a deep out. This is a classic Four Verticals variant built as a Cover 2 and Cover 3 beater, with the primary read starting at the seam routes against two deep safeties before working outside to the corner and out breakers if the safeties collapse the middle.

Defensive Reads

Identify two deep safeties pre-snap, which signals Cover 2 or Cover 4, and attack the seam windows between the corners and safeties. Watch for a single high safety rotating post-snap, which indicates Cover 3, and shift your eyes to the corner route since it settles behind the flat defender and in front of the deep third defender. Key the flat defenders and underneath linebackers, since if they widen with the outside verticals it opens throwing lanes for the inside seam and dig routes. Watch for user-controlled safeties or lurking linebackers sitting in the middle of the field, since they can jump the inside seam or dig route if the quarterback stares it down too long. This play struggles against disguised Cover 1 or Cover 0 man pressure with no safety help, since every route is vertical and there is no built-in answer against a jam and immediate blitz.

Usage Tips

Check pre-snap for two deep safeties or a single high safety before the snap, since this concept is designed to exploit the seams against Cover 2 and the corner route against Cover 3.

If you see man coverage with no safety help over the top, hot route one of the inside seam runners into a skinny post or keep the go route on the boundary corner to win one-on-one.

Use this play on early downs or obvious passing situations where defenses sit in zone shells, since the four verticals stress every deep zone defender at once.

Pair this with Stick or Curl Flats from the same set to bait linebackers into shallow zones, then come back to 986 once the defense starts sitting on short routes.

Against aggressive blitz packages, get the ball out quickly to the shortest breaking route since Empty Base leaves no extra protection in the backfield.