Playbooks

Verticals

Shotgun·Trips TE·11

Four Verts Pass Play Cover 2 Beater Cover 3 Beater

Play diagram for Verticals from Shotgun Trips TE in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetTrips TE

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

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Breakdown

Verticals out of Shotgun Trips TE sends all three trips receivers straight up the field on go routes, stacking the numbers and the seam to stress deep coverage. The inline TE releases into a deep seam or post-corner read while the backside single WR runs a vertical of his own, giving the QB four vertical stems from a five man route concept with the RB releasing into a check down or blocking. This is a classic Cover 2 and Cover 3 beater built to attack the seams and sidelines simultaneously, and the primary read progression starts with the seam route from the TE, then works to the trips side outside vertical before checking down to the RB or backside single WR vertical if the deep shots are covered.

Defensive Reads

Identify the deep safety alignment presnap, a single high safety in the middle of the field signals Cover 3 and tells you the seams will be softer against the hash marks. Watch the flat defenders and curl to flat zone droppers post snap, if they widen too far with the trips vertical release the seam route from the TE becomes wide open behind them. This play struggles against a two deep shell with aggressive corners sinking under the outside verticals, if the corners jam and funnel receivers inside, look for the user controlled safety to bracket the seam. Man coverage with no help over the top is a green light to take a deep shot down the sideline, but tight man press with a deep lurking safety over the top will shut down the outside verticals and force you to the check down. Watch for a nano blitz or overload pressure look presnap, if the offensive line is outnumbered on one side get the ball out quick to the hot route RB before the verticals have time to develop.

Usage Tips

Presnap identify single high versus two high safeties before the snap since this play is designed to exploit both Cover 2 and Cover 3 shells by overloading the deep zones with four verticals.

Hot route the RB into a flat or check release if you expect a heavy blitz look, this gives you a safety valve against pressure while the verticals develop downfield.

Use this play on early downs or obvious passing situations where the defense is likely to sit in zone coverage, since the verticals concept can get bogged down against aggressive man press coverage without a hot route adjustment.

Pair this call with Mtn PA Y Corner or PA Boot Shot earlier in a series to bait safeties into cheating up on run action, then hit Verticals when the safeties bite and open up the seams.

Against Cover 3, key the flat foot of the deep middle safety and throw off his leverage, if he widens to the trips side, hit the backside single WR vertical for an explosive gain.