Playbooks

Deep Post

Shotgun·Trey Open·11
PostPass Play
Play diagram for Deep Post from Shotgun Trey Open in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 4 playbooks

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Breakdown

Deep Post out of Shotgun Trey Open puts three receivers to the strong side and one receiver into the boundary, with the boundary X running a deep post that splits the safeties and stems away from the trey side. The three trey receivers run a flat, an out, and a deep crossing route underneath, clearing the middle of the field for the post while giving the QB a quick check down option to the flat if the post is capped. The primary read is the deep post first, working through the crosser and flat route on the trey side if the safety jumps the post route.

Defensive Reads

Man coverage without safety help over the top is the biggest liability for this concept, the post will separate against most corners in press or trail technique. Cover 3 with a rotated safety to the boundary shuts down the post window, so check the flat and crosser underneath instead of forcing the deep shot. Watch the middle linebacker depth at the snap, if he sinks deep into the post lane on a zone drop, the crosser behind him becomes the outlet. User controlled safeties who bait the post with a shallow drop before breaking late are the number one threat, do not force this throw if you see late safety rotation. Cover 2 shells with two deep safeties splitting the field will squeeze the post throwing window, live throw needs to be timed before the safety reaches the middle of the field.

Usage Tips

Take a pre-snap look at the safeties, if you see a single high safety shaded toward the trey side, the post has a clear window against the boundary corner.

Use motion or a hot route on the flat runner to hold a linebacker if you see zone drops keying the shallow crosser.

This play hits best on second and long or first down shots when defenses are more likely to sit in two high shells and give up the middle seam on the post.

Pair this play with Curls or Double Ins from the same Trey Open set to keep the defense guessing between quick game and shot plays without changing your formation tendency.

If the defense starts jumping the post route with safety help, sequence into Y Cross Wheel or Cross Z Post to attack the same vertical stem with a different breakpoint.

Other Plays in Trey Open