Playbooks

Bench

Shotgun·Tight Doubles·11

Bench Pass Play

Play diagram for Bench from Shotgun Tight Doubles in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetTight Doubles

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 6 playbooks

Balanced Pass OffenseOffense Raiders OffenseOffense Shotgun Classic OffenseOffense Steelers OffenseOffense NFL Live Raiders OffenseOffense NFL Live Steelers OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Bench out of Shotgun Tight Doubles is a horizontal stretch concept designed to attack the flats and sideline. Both outside receivers run flat routes breaking hard to the boundary at the snap, while the two inside receivers push vertically up the seams before breaking outside on corner routes toward the numbers. The QB progression starts with the deep corner route to the play side, then works down to the flat route underneath as a checkdown against soft zone drops. This is a zone beater built to stress cornerbacks and flat defenders with a high low read on one side of the field.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment. Two deep safeties usually signal Cover 4 or Cover 2, which opens up the corner routes against the flat defenders. Watch the cornerback press or off alignment. Off coverage corners will bail into the flat and jump the underneath route, killing this concept quickly. Post-snap, key the flat defender's first two steps. If he sinks to take away the corner route, throw the flat immediately before the window closes. Man coverage with underneath linebackers shading toward the flat routes is a sign to abandon this play and check to a man beater instead. Watch for Sam or Will blitzes off the edge since the flat routes release late and can leave the QB exposed if protection breaks down.

Usage Tips

Attack Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells since the flat defender cannot cover both the flat route and the corner route breaking behind him.

Use motion pre-snap to identify if the defense is playing man or zone, since the flat routes will get picked off quickly by man defenders sitting underneath.

Hot route the backside flat route into a deeper dig or drag if you see a Sam or Mike linebacker sitting in the short zone to give yourself a second high low option.

Pair this play with HB Angle or Curl in your play calling sequence so the defense cannot sit on the flat concept once they start keying the corner routes.

Best used on second and medium to third and long when defenses are more likely to sit back in zone shells instead of bringing pressure.