Playbooks

Jailbreak Screen

Shotgun·Empty Bunch Wide·11
Screen PassWr ScreenPass PlayBubble ScreenCurlOut
Play diagram for Jailbreak Screen from Shotgun Empty Bunch Wide in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 19 playbooks

Bengals OffenseOffenseCardinals OffenseOffenseColts OffenseOffenseCowboys OffenseOffenseDolphins OffenseOffenseFalcons OffenseOffensePackers OffenseOffenseShotgun OffenseOffenseTitans OffenseOffenseVikings OffenseOffenseNFL Live Bengals OffenseOffenseNFL Live Cardinals OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Jailbreak Screen out of Empty Bunch Wide is a designed WR screen to the bunch side, with the offensive line releasing downfield to set up blockers ahead of the throw while the bunch receivers work a stack release pattern. The nearest bunch receiver sits as the screen target while the other two bunch receivers push vertical and break outside to clear space and act as lead blockers on the perimeter. This is a zone beater at its core since it attacks defenders dropping into their zones and out-leverages flowing linebackers, and the primary read is the screen receiver first, with the QB progressing to the blockers springing him free once he catches it.

Defensive Reads

Watch for linebackers sitting flat footed or reading run fits at the snap, this play is designed to exploit exactly that hesitation. If the defense shows a hard edge blitz or exotic pressure with defenders crashing the screen side immediately, this play dies fast since the blockers have not released yet. Corners playing tight man coverage on the bunch receivers can jump the screen throw, especially if they sit on the quick stack release instead of respecting the vertical fake. Man coverage that man should sink but stay under and outside the screen can suffocate lead blockers and knock the play into negative yardage. Watch for a user linebacker spying the play from depth, since a disciplined defender staying home instead of flowing to run action can diagnose and blow this screen up before it starts.

Usage Tips

Throw this quickly off the snap since the timing depends on the offensive line getting out ahead of the catch point, so do not hold the ball waiting on other routes to develop.

Use this against teams that show soft zone shells or off man coverage, since the cushion gives your lead blockers time to engage before defenders converge.

Bait aggressive user blitzers by showing this look after running RPO Q Screen Draw or QB Draw from the same set, since defenders keying run flow will crash inside and open the screen lane.

Hot route the backside bunch receivers into blocks if you see extra defenders creeping to that side, this keeps unblocked defenders from blowing up the screen before it develops.

Call this on early downs or after a series of inside runs to punish linebackers who start reading run and flowing hard downhill.

Other Plays in Empty Bunch Wide