Playbooks
At a Glance
In 2 playbooks
Overview
Split Twins Offset Close is a 21 personnel Shotgun set that puts two backs in the formation while still giving you a twins side, which is a rare combination in Madden's Shotgun library. The alignment pairs a twins stack to one side with a tight end closed down next to the tackle and a second back offset next to the quarterback. That offset back is the whole point of the set: he can be flared, wheeled, swung, or kept in as a sixth blocker without any pre-snap tell, because the defense cannot tell from the shell whether you are running Inside Zone, a play-action rollout, or a swing screen.
Strengths
- Mtn PA Switch Sail and PA Slide Y Cross sell run action out of a two back look, which drags linebackers forward and opens the deep crossers and the sail behind Cover 3 and Cover 2 zone drops
- The offset back gives you free flare control: Mtn HB Swing, Mtn Lead Swing Spot, and RPO Alert Swing all attack the flat immediately against man coverage and force a linebacker to chase horizontally
- Twins side creates natural switch releases (Spacing Switch Stick, Mtn Slot Cross) that rub off man defenders without needing a hot route, so you get clean man beaters with the base play art
- Stick RB Angle and Mtn Fk Screen Wheel punish user defenders who commit early, and the angle route is one of the best inside man beaters in the game against a blitzing linebacker
- Full run tree (Inside Zone, Mid Zone Lt, HB Toss Lt) out of 21 personnel means you can stay in the same set and hand off with an extra body at the point of attack against nickel and dime looks
Weaknesses
- Only three true receiving threats in most plays, so heavy man press with a spare user in the middle of the field can take away both the crossers and the flat option
- Play-action heavy set means A gap nano blitz and overload pressures get home before the boot or slide protection resets, and you have no quick out to bail yourself out on most PA concepts
- Closed tight end side is light on route depth, so a defense that rolls coverage toward the twins can strand you with only the tight end and the back working one on one
- Boxed run plays out of Shotgun 21 personnel struggle against base 3-4 and 4-3 fronts with a committed run fit, especially Inside Zone into a stacked front
- Predictable tendency issue: if you lean on the swing and screen concepts, users will sit a defender on the flat and turn Mtn HB Swing and Mtn Fk Screen Wheel into negative plays
Usage Tips
Use the play-action concepts (Mtn PA Switch Sail, PA HB Seam, PA Slide Y Cross) after you have established Inside Zone or Mid Zone Lt from the same set, and only against single high safety shells where the sail and seam have space behind the second level
Against man coverage identified pre-snap (defenders pressing and a safety shading a receiver), go to Spacing Switch Stick or Stick RB Angle and let the switch release and angle route do the work rather than hot routing
Motion the twins slot to rebalance the formation when you see an overloaded front, then check the offset back to pass protect or leave him on the swing depending on whether the blitz is edge or interior
Redzone HB Corner and Flood are your goal line and sideline concepts: use Flood on third and medium against Cover 3 to put three levels on one hash, and Redzone HB Corner inside the 15 when the defense collapses the middle
Hot route the closed tight end to a drag or flat when you expect pressure, since the set lacks a natural quick outlet on most of the play-action calls
