Playbooks

Outside Zone

Shotgun·Trips TE Flex·11

Outside Zone Run Play Zone Run

Play diagram for Outside Zone from Shotgun Trips TE Flex in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetTrips TE Flex

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

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Breakdown

Outside Zone from Shotgun Trips TE Flex is a zone run play design that sends the offensive line laterally to stretch the defense before the HB picks his crease. The diagram shows the RB taking a wide zone step to the play side before cutting upfield, with the offensive line flowing horizontally to create cutback lanes rather than firing straight downhill. This is a pure zone run play built to attack overpursuit and gap-shooting defensive fronts, and the primary read progression starts at the play side edge (bounce lane) before working back to the cutback lane if the edge defender or DE holds the point.

Defensive Reads

Read the play side defensive end and outside linebacker first, since a hard crash inside opens the bounce lane while a wide contain rush forces the cutback. Watch for stacked or heavy boxes with eight or more defenders in the box, which shrinks cutback lanes and makes this run much tougher to spring. Identify blitz packages that send extra defenders off the edge pre-snap, since Outside Zone can get gashed by a well-timed contain blitz if the TE flex fails to seal the edge. Look for user-controlled linebackers flowing too fast to the play side, as that overpursuit is exactly what creates the cutback lane for a big gain. Beware two-high shells with quick-flowing safeties or scrape exchange linebackers, as disciplined defenses that stay home on cutback lanes will limit this to minimal gains.

Usage Tips

Check the box count pre-snap and only run this into light boxes of six defenders or fewer since the trips side pulls a safety or corner into run support less often than you think.

Use the right or left analog stick to manually vacate the RB wide and press the aiming point outside before making your cut read, since Outside Zone rewards patience over pure speed to the hole.

Hot route the flex TE into a quick stalk block or leave him in as an extra blocker against edge pressure looks if you see a wide 9 technique or overhang blitzer showing pre-snap.

Pair this with Inside Zone and HB Draw out of the same Trips TE Flex look to keep linebackers honest and prevent them from flowing hard to the edge every snap.

Best called on early downs (1st and 10, 2nd and short) when you want to stay ahead of the sticks and set up play-action shots like PA Fork or PA Crossers later in the drive.