Playbooks

Curl Slot Dig

Shotgun·Trips HB Wk·10
CurlDigPass PlayComebackSwingZig
Play diagram for Curl Slot Dig from Shotgun Trips HB Wk in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 4 playbooks

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Receiver routes

Depth-chart slots are shown as they line up in the base package for this set.

See this play with a team's players
PlayerSideRoute
HB1LeftSwing
SLWRRightZig
WR1LeftCurl
WR2RightComeback
SLWR2RightDeep In

Read progression

  1. WR2 right, Comeback
  2. WR1 left, Curl
  3. SLWR2 right, Deep In
  4. SLWR right, Zig
  5. HB1 left, SwingCheck-down

Breakdown

Curl Slot Dig out of Shotgun Trips HB Wk lines up with the HB releasing out of the backfield on a swing that turns upfield into a vertical seam, while the boundary receiver runs a corner route off the numbers. On the trips side, the outside receiver runs a deep dig across the middle, the slot runs an out route at intermediate depth, and the inline receiver clears out on a shallow flat drag to the opposite side to hold underneath defenders. This is a zone beater built to attack the middle of the field void with the dig as the primary read, working from the dig to the flat drag and checking down to the HB seam if the window is late.

Defensive Reads

Key the middle linebacker and any Tampa 2 style deep hole defender pre-snap since a sinking MLB or deep safety can jump the dig route and create a user pick six. Watch the slot cornerback depth at the snap. If he sinks into a deep third or quarter, the dig has to be thrown with anticipation before he can undercut the throwing lane. Read the strong side flat defender. If he widens with the outside out route, the shallow drag crosses free and becomes the checkdown answer against zone drops. Cover 3 with a sinking curl or hook defender is the toughest shell for this concept since it clogs the dig window, so be ready to check down to the HB seam. Man coverage with a blitz behind it is the biggest danger since the dig route takes time to develop, so recognize A gap or B gap pressure and get the ball out early to the flat drag or HB.

Usage Tips

Use this on second and long or third and medium when defenses are more likely to sit in zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4 since the dig sits right in the honey hole between the linebackers and safeties.

Pre-snap, identify if the slot corner is pressed or off. If the defense shows Cover 2 or man coverage look to the corner route on the backside or the HB seam instead of forcing the dig into a robber defender.

Hot route the flat drag receiver into a deeper crossing route if you see a defense that clogs the shallow zone, since that receiver is otherwise wasted as a low priority checkdown.

Pair this with Curls or All Curl from the same set to keep the defense guessing between an underneath sit concept and this deep dig shot, forcing linebackers to respect both levels.

User the HB out of the backfield in man coverage matchups since the seam release creates a big mismatch against slower linebackers.

Other Plays in Trips HB Wk