Playbooks

Open Flex

Shotgun·11

SpecialistsGadget

Set alignment for Open Flex from Shotgun in Madden 27

At a Glance

FormationShotgun

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

Plays10

In 2 playbooks

Air Raid OffenseOffense Franchise Offense Airraid GunOffense

Overview

Open Flex is a Shotgun 11 personnel set that detaches the tight end from the formation and flexes him off the line in a slot-type alignment, while the wideouts spread wide to stretch the defense horizontally. Compact Shotgun sets keep the TE attached as a sixth blocker. Open Flex instead turns him into a receiving threat who forces the defense to declare how it will match him. If a linebacker walks out to cover the flexed TE, you have a size and speed conflict to attack. If a nickel or safety rotates down, the box lightens and your HB Dive and RPO run tags become far more productive.

The Gadget tag reflects how much misdirection and conflict this set packs into a small playbook footprint. You get two center screen RPO variations (RPO Alert Cntr Screen and RPO Cntr Alert Screen), a Y flat read (RPO Read Y Flat), and a perimeter screen read (RPO Read WR Screen). Together they punish defenders who overplay the run or sit flat footed against quick game. On top of that sits a legitimate dropback menu: Dagger, Double Post, Deep Outs, X Seam, and Vertical TE Out. These let you stress every level of a coverage shell without leaving the formation.

Because the TE is detached, defensive formation matching often forces opponents into nickel or dime personnel, which you can then run against with HB Dive. When they stay in base to handle the run, the flexed TE and slot receivers isolate linebackers and safeties in space. That matchup chess is the core identity of Open Flex, and it makes the set a strong hub for players who want to dictate personnel rather than react to it.

Strengths

The flexed TE forces a coverage declaration pre snap, letting you identify man versus zone by watching who travels with him and then attack the mismatch with Vertical TE Out or X Seam.
Dagger (seam clear plus deep dig) is an elite Cover 3 and Cover 4 zone beater from this spacing, since the vertical pulls the hook defender and opens the dig window behind the linebackers.
Double Post and Deep Outs give you reliable Cover 2 and Cover 1 answers, with Double Post splitting the safeties in two high looks and Deep Outs working the sideline against off man and soft corners.
The RPO package, especially RPO Read Y Flat and RPO Read WR Screen, lets you read the conflict defender after the snap and punish user controlled linebackers who crash the run or drop into the middle.
The spread horizontal alignment pulls defenders out of the box, making HB Dive a high efficiency run against light boxes and nickel or dime personnel.

Weaknesses

With the TE detached, protection is limited to five linemen plus the RB, so overload and nano blitzes from the field side can get home before Dagger or Double Post routes finish developing.
The center screen RPOs (RPO Alert Cntr Screen and RPO Cntr Alert Screen) are vulnerable to user controlled defenders who read the screen early and sit in the throwing lane, and to defensive linemen dropping into zone.
The run game is thin, with HB Dive as the only true called run, so opponents who recognize the formation can play pass first and rely on RPO read tags being their only run exposure.
Bracket and double coverage on the flexed TE can erase your primary mismatch, especially when defenses play Cover 2 Man or robber looks that squat the seam and dig windows.
Deep developing concepts like Deep Outs and Double Post need time and accurate deep ball ratings, so a weak QB or poor pass blocking line struggles to execute the dropback half of the set.

Usage Tips

Before the snap, watch the defender aligned over the flexed TE: a linebacker signals a mismatch for Vertical TE Out or X Seam, while a nickel or safety in that spot signals a lighter box and a good time to audible to HB Dive.

Against heavy blitz looks, hot route the RB to a block or slant, or check into RPO Read WR Screen to get the ball out quickly before pressure arrives.

Use Dagger on 2nd and medium or 3rd and 6 to 10 against single high safety looks, and target the dig once the seam runner clears the hook defender.

Pair the two center screen RPOs as a constraint package: once the opponent starts crashing linemen or users on HB Dive, call RPO Alert Cntr Screen to punish the aggression in the middle of the field.

Mix Double Post and Deep Outs as shot plays on 1st down after establishing the quick game, using play action tendencies from the RPOs to freeze safeties and create one on one sideline and post matchups.