Playbooks

PA TE Wheel

Shotgun·Spread Y-Slot·11
Play ActionWheelPass Play
Play diagram for PA TE Wheel from Shotgun Spread Y-Slot in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 8 playbooks

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Breakdown

PA TE Wheel is a play-action pass out of Shotgun Spread Y-Slot that disguises a run fake before releasing five eligible routes into a vertical stretch. On the play side (right), the outside receiver runs a short out to the flat while the TE releases underneath him and turns his route upfield into a wheel down the sideline, creating a natural pick and leverage against man coverage. The backside runs a corner post combo, with one receiver breaking upfield and the other working a deep out and up, giving you a full field flood if the play side wheel is covered. This is primarily a man beater built to exploit linebackers and safeties who bite on the play-action or get picked off by the flat route, with the TE wheel as your first read and the backside corner route as the second read against zone drops.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing man coverage with corners playing inside leverage on the outside receivers, this is the green light to trust the TE wheel as your first read. Watch the flat route defender post-snap, if a linebacker or slot corner gets picked or hesitates on the play-action fake, the TE wheel should be wide open up the sideline. Against Cover 3 or Cover 4 zone shells, the deep safety to the play side can sit on the wheel route, so progress to the backside corner post combo for your second read. Key the play side outside linebacker or nickel defender, if he stays flat footed reading the run fake, the flat route and TE wheel combo will consistently beat late-reacting defenders. Beware of a hard edge blitz or contain player who ignores the run fake entirely, since this can pressure the quarterback before the TE wheel has time to develop up the sideline.

Usage Tips

Look for man coverage indicators pre-snap like corners lined up tight on your outside receivers, since the TE wheel is designed to work against a linebacker or safety who cannot match speed once the pick happens underneath.

Sell the run fake by holding the ball low through the play-action animation, this freezes linebackers and safeties long enough for the TE to climb up the sideline uncontested.

If you see two deep safeties (Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells) hot route the flat route into a quick out or slot corner to give yourself a faster underneath answer instead of forcing the wheel into a deep zone defender.

Use this on second and medium or third and long situations where defenses are more likely to sit in zone drops, then pair it with Curls or Digs H Option earlier in a drive to set up the wheel once linebackers start jumping shorter routes.

Combine this with Fake Jet HB Seam or Orbit Fake Screen Wheel in your play-calling sequence so defenders start respecting the run fake, which opens up the TE wheel even more on money downs.

Other Plays in Spread Y-Slot