Playbooks

Bench Spray

Shotgun·Tight·11

Bench Pass Play

Play diagram for Bench Spray from Shotgun Tight in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetTight

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 4 playbooks

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Breakdown

Bench Spray is a five man route concept out of Shotgun Tight 11 personnel that spreads the field with a bench route to each side and a deep dig style break from the slot. The backside receiver runs a deep corner while the outside receiver clears out on a bench (pivot out) route, and to the strong side you get a vertical seam that breaks into a deep out combined with a shallow crossing route underneath, creating a natural high low read against zone drops. The lone red route out of the backfield or inline release runs a deep post to stress the middle of the field, giving this play both zone beating spacing and a man beater vertical shot. Primary progression starts with the strong side seam to out breaking route, then works to the shallow crosser underneath, before checking the post route as the deep shot if the safety bites on the flat concept.

Defensive Reads

Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they sink hard to cover the shallow crosser the seam to out route on the strong side will have a soft window for a completion. Key the safety over the deep post route, if he stays deep middle in Cover 3 the post is covered but the bench routes underneath should be open in the flat voids. Identify if the defense shows Cover 2, the corners sitting in the flat can jump the bench routes so be ready to work the crossing route or the post over the top instead. Look for a user controlled defender lurking in the shallow crossing route lane, aggressive players will sit on this route to bait a turnover so have a checkdown or the corner route ready. Man coverage with a single high safety is where this concept shines the most, the crossing route and deep post both exploit man leverage while the bench routes clear space underneath.

Usage Tips

Use this on second and medium to second and long when defenses are likely to sit in zone coverage since the bench routes and shallow crosser create natural voids against Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells.

Pre snap, identify single high versus two high safeties, if you see two high look immediately to the deep post since the middle should be softer against split safety looks.

Hot route the backside bench receiver into a shallow drag if you are getting pressure from that edge, this keeps a quick outlet available against exotic blitz packages.

Pair this play with Bench and Bench Switch in your play calling sequence, the identical initial route stems make it very difficult for defenders to jump routes based on receiver release.

Against man coverage look to the deep post or the seam to out combo early since the bench routes take longer to develop and are more vulnerable to trail technique corners.