Playbooks

Curls

Shotgun·Tight Y Off Wk·11

Curl Pass Play

Play diagram for Curls from Shotgun Tight Y Off Wk in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetTight Y Off Wk

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

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Breakdown

Curls out of Shotgun Tight Y Off Wk sends three receivers vertical into curl routes at different depths while the backside TE runs a deep comeback and the HB releases out of the backfield on a wide flat route to the boundary. The route diagram shows a five man protection with the HB checking release before working the flat, giving the QB a built in outlet against pressure. This is a zone beater at its core, using the staggered curl depths to settle into soft spots between the underneath zone defenders and the deep safeties, though it also has man beater qualities on the curls if the QB throws with anticipation before the break. Primary read progression starts with the middle curl attacking the deepest zone hole, then works to the near curl and flat combo on the strongside if the defense rotates coverage away from the middle.

Defensive Reads

Read the middle linebacker depth at the snap. If he sits shallow and wide, the deep curl in the middle of the field will be uncontested and should be your first read. Watch for the flat defender jumping the HB release route. If a linebacker or slot corner sinks with him immediately, that opens a passing window behind him for the near curl. Identify Cover 3 by the single high safety and three deep zone defenders. This play exploits the seams between the curl routes and the deep thirds, so throw with anticipation before the underneath defenders can settle. Beware of Cover 4 or Cover 6 shells where the safeties sit at intermediate depth, since they can undercut the curl breaks if the QB holds the ball too long. Man coverage with a lurking safety in the middle of the field is the biggest threat, since that defender can jump the deep comeback or the middle curl if the QB telegraphs the throw.

Usage Tips

Use this on second and medium or third and medium when you expect zone coverage since the curl depths are designed to hang in the soft spots of Cover 3 and Cover 4 zone drops.

Pre-snap, check the safety alignment. Two high safeties with linebackers sitting shallow signals Cover 2 or Cover 4, so target the deep comeback from the backside TE since it sits behind the corner and in front of the safety.

If you see man coverage indicators like a single high safety with defenders lined up tight on receivers, hot route the outside curl into a corner or speed out to attack the man defender leverage instead of settling.

Combine this with Shuffle HB Out or In Quick Outs in the same set to keep the defense honest on flat coverage, then come back to Curls once linebackers start jumping the shorter routes.

Use play action shells like PA Corner or PA Behind Fk Cheat Post Cross from this same formation to disguise the curl action and freeze linebackers who key run fits.