Playbooks

Smash Hammer

Shotgun·Tight Y Off Wk·11

Smash Pass Play Cover 2 Beater

Play diagram for Smash Hammer 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

Smash Hammer is a classic Cover 2 beater out of Shotgun Tight Y Off Wk with 11 personnel. Outside the numbers, the outermost receiver runs a deep corner route while the receiver aligned inside him hooks up on a shallow out, creating the traditional smash combo that stretches the flat defender and the deep corner defender vertically. On the other side, the TE runs a hitch to sit route (the red route) with an inside receiver running a wheel or seam route underneath it, and the HB releases out of the backfield on a wheel or shoot route to the flat as a checkdown or man beater against linebackers. The primary read starts with the corner-flat combo to the smash side, working the deep corner against Cover 2 safeties before coming back to the TE hitch and HB flat route underneath.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing two high safeties, this is the shell Smash Hammer is designed to attack since the corner route settles between the corner and safety. Watch the flat defender or nickel corner depth, if he sinks with the out route the window for the corner throw opens up behind him. Post-snap, key the boundary safety, if he stays flat footed reading run action or play action fakes elsewhere on the field, the corner route will come open late. Against single high or Cover 3, this play loses its main advantage since the deep corner runs into extra help, so be ready to check down to the HB flat or TE hitch instead. Watch for user linebackers spying the HB out of the backfield, if they widen too early jumping the flat route it opens up the TE hitch sitting behind them.

Usage Tips

Use this on second and long or third and medium when you expect a two high safety shell since the corner route attacks the boundary safety directly.

Check the cornerback depth before the snap, if he is playing off you can hot route the out route to a quick stick for an easy completion underneath.

Against man coverage, look to the HB flat route or the TE hitch first since those are your quickest separation routes against linebackers.

Pair this play with Smash Y Double or Smash Dagger in your play calling sequence so the defense sees the same backfield action and route stems but has to respect a different vertical threat each time.

If the defense starts jumping the deep corner route after multiple reps, counter with Smash Drag or Smash X-drag from the same set to hit the underneath crossers instead.