Playbooks

Bench

Shotgun·Tight Open·11

Bench Pass Play

Play diagram for Bench from Shotgun Tight Open in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetTight Open

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

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Breakdown

Bench out of Shotgun Tight Open (11 personnel) sends both outside receivers on flat routes breaking toward the sideline at a shallow depth while the boundary receiver on the left runs a deep corner route up the seam, creating a natural high low read on that side. The right side stacks two receivers with the outside man running a corner and the inside man running a flat route underneath, giving the quarterback a mirrored two level stretch on both edges. This is a man beater built on horizontal stretch and pick concepts, with the flat routes clearing underneath space for the corners and creating natural rub potential against man coverage. Primary read progression starts with the right side corner into flat combo, then works to the backside corner route if the boundary defender bites on the flat.

Defensive Reads

Man coverage with no safety help over the top gets exposed by the corner routes since the flat routes occupy underneath defenders and create natural separation off the break. Cover 3 with a single deep defender on each side struggles to defend both the flat and corner route simultaneously, so watch for the deep defender's leverage before releasing your throw. Cover 2 shells with two deep safeties can squeeze the corner routes if the safety sits on the numbers, so be ready to check down to the flat route underneath. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, since shallow linebackers who jump the flat routes immediately open a throwing lane to the corner route behind them. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge can be countered by getting the ball out quickly to either flat route, since both routes are designed for a fast release against pressure.

Usage Tips

Use pre-snap motion or a quick alignment check to see if the defense shifts, since this play relies on identifying man versus zone before the snap to pick the correct side.

Attack the right side first since it presents a stacked two receiver read with a built in pick, making it easier to draw a bite from underneath defenders before working back to the backside corner.

Hot route the inside flat receiver on the left into a shallow drag if you see zone shells sitting deep, since the corner route on that side can get squeezed by a deep half safety.

Pair this play with Bench Return or Bench Swirl-Return in your play calling sequence so the defense sees similar receiver alignment and hesitates on leverage, opening up the corner routes on the counter call.

Best used on second or third and medium situations where the horizontal flat stretch forces linebackers to widen, opening throwing lanes for the corner routes behind them.