Playbooks

Post Trail

Shotgun·Spread Y-Slot·11

Post Pass Play Trail

Play diagram for Post Trail from Shotgun Spread Y-Slot in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetSpread Y-Slot

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 4 playbooks

Balanced Run OffenseOffense Sim Explosivestress Ba OffenseOffense Sim Explosivestress Ph OffenseOffense Sim Explosivestress Rn OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Post Trail is a two man route combo out of Spread Y-Slot with three receivers to the closed side running vertical stem routes off the snap. The outside receiver on the trail side runs a post that breaks over the middle while the inside receiver trails underneath on a shallow crossing route that mirrors the post, creating a natural pick and rub against man coverage. This is a man beater first and foremost, with the primary read starting on the post breaking to the trail route underneath if the post gets jumped by a safety.

Defensive Reads

Check the free safety depth pre snap, if he is shaded to the trail side the post will have a tighter window and you should prioritize the underneath trail route instead. Watch the slot cornerback technique at the line, soft press or off coverage signals zone drops that can be exploited by throwing the post before the safety rotates over. Cover 3 with a hard flat zone defender can undercut the trail route, so against three deep three under shells look to layer the post over the top of the cloud corner. Man coverage with a single high safety is the ideal shell to attack since the post and trail combo naturally creates traffic that man defenders struggle to fight through. Watch for a blitzing linebacker crashing off the edge, since the trail route stem can act as a hot read outlet if the protection breaks down before the post fully develops.

Usage Tips

Use pre snap motion or a quick glance at the safety alignment to confirm one high versus two high before the snap since the post route needs a soft middle of the field to hit its window.

Key on the slot corner or nickel defender at the snap, if he sinks with the post the trail route underneath will be wide open in the void.

This play punishes man coverage and press man especially well because the trail route rubs off the post defender, so save it for third and medium or third and short against man heavy defenses.

Pair Post Trail with Four Verticals or Y Cross from this set so defenses cannot sit on the post and trail combo, forcing them to respect the deep shots.

If the user controlled defender jumps the underneath trail route immediately, reset your eyes to the post since that means the safety help rotated away from the deep middle.