Playbooks

Stick

Shotgun·Trey Open HB Str·11
StickStick ConceptPass Play
Play diagram for Stick from Shotgun Trey Open HB Str in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 10 playbooks

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Breakdown

Stick out of Shotgun Trey Open HB Str is a quick-hitting zone beater built around the classic Stick concept on the trips side. The two inside receivers run a flat route and a seam/vertical breaking route that settles into the void behind underneath zones, while the outside trips receiver runs a shallow drag across the field, and the backside single receiver runs a corner route up the sideline. The HB stays in as a check release or blocker off the strong side. Primary read progression is flat to stick (the sit route) on the trips side, then work back to the drag if the flat and stick are covered, using the backside corner as a home run shot against overplayed underneath coverage.

Defensive Reads

Look at safety depth pre-snap, two deep safeties often signal Cover 2 or Cover 4 which are prime targets for the stick and corner routes. Watch the flat defender post-snap, if he sinks under the stick route the quarterback should reset to the drag crossing the field. Cover 3 with a hard sink from the corner can take away the stick window, so the drag becomes the primary answer against that shell. Man coverage with no safety help over the top invites the backside corner route to be the go to answer against overaggressive corners playing tight technique. Beware of user linebackers spying the stick window or lurking in the shallow zone, this is the biggest threat to shutting down the underneath progression in competitive play.

Usage Tips

Pre-snap identify if the defense is showing zone or man across the trips side since Stick is designed to exploit spot drop zone defenders like Cover 2 and Cover 3.

Key the flat defender first, if he widens with the flat route the window opens up for the stick route sitting behind him.

Use motion or a hot route on the drag to turn this into a man beater versus Cover 1 or Cover 0 by having the drag work across the field away from man defenders.

This play shines on third and short to third and medium since the stick route and drag both create easy conversion windows underneath.

Pair Stick with Four Verticals or Deep Stick from this same set to keep defenses honest, if they start jumping the underneath routes after seeing Stick on tape, hit them with the vertical shot instead.

Other Plays in Trey Open HB Str