Playbooks

Drive Under

Shotgun·Trey Open Offset·11
DrivePass PlayCover 4 Beater
Play diagram for Drive Under from Shotgun Trey Open Offset in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 2 playbooks

Redskins OffenseOffenseNFL Live Redskins OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Drive Under is a Cover 4 beater out of Shotgun Trey Open Offset that stacks a shallow drive concept underneath a deep clear out route. The backside X runs a deep vertical to occupy the safety while the two receivers on the trey side run a drive combo, one crossing under from the numbers and one settling in on a deep in, with the tight end releasing on a deep crossing route from the strongside to hold the middle linebacker. The primary read starts with the shallow drive crosser working from the boundary, then progresses to the deep in breaking route and finally to the tight end crossing over the middle if the underneath windows are jumped.

Defensive Reads

Watch for the strongside linebacker sinking into the crossing lane, that is the lurk defender who can jump the drive route and bait a quarterback into a turnover. If the safeties show two high pre snap and stay two high post snap, the deep in route sitting behind the linebackers becomes the primary window. Man coverage with the corner playing tight outside leverage on the trey receivers signals the drive route will win quickly underneath, get the ball out before the trailing defender closes. A blitzing middle linebacker or a nano blitz look up the middle should trigger a check to the shallow drive route as a quick outlet since the tight end crosser will not have time to develop. Cover 3 with a hard curl to flat defender squatting on the underneath crosser is the look that shuts this play down, in that case reset to Y Stick or Curls Dig from the same set instead.

Usage Tips

Pre snap, check if the corner over the trey side is playing off or bailing into a deep quarter, since that opens the drive route working underneath immediately.

Use the deep vertical on the backside to hold single high safeties honest before working the drive concept, this is critical against Cover 4 and Cover 2 shells.

Hot route the shallow drive receiver to a quick out if you see man coverage with a hard flat defender sitting on the crossing lane.

This play pairs well with Four Verticals and Mtn Four Verticals in the same set since defenses that sit on the shallow crosser get burned by the vertical stretch on the following snap.

Best used on second and medium to second and long, giving the shallow drive route and deep in time to develop while the quarterback works through the full progression.

Other Plays in Trey Open Offset