Playbooks

WR Smash

Shotgun·Trips Y-Flex·11

Smash Pass Play Cover 2 Beater

Play diagram for WR Smash from Shotgun Trips Y-Flex in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetTrips Y-Flex

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 8 playbooks

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Breakdown

WR Smash out of Shotgun Trips Y-Flex is a classic high low concept built to attack the boundary corner. The backside single receiver runs a corner route while the isolated TE just inside him fires off a short hitch, creating the vertical stretch that defines Smash. On the trips side, the outside receiver runs a corner route stacking behind the flexed TE who breaks outside on a flat/out route, while the inside slot works an out and up double move underneath, and the running back releases out of the backfield on a wide flat route to the boundary. This is a clear Cover 2 beater since the deep corner routes sit behind the flat defenders and in front of the safeties, and the primary read progression starts with the trips side corner route against the safety, then works down to the flexed TE flat route if the corner is capped, with the backside high low as a built in answer if the defense rolls coverage away from trips.

Defensive Reads

Key the flat defender on the trips side immediately after the snap, since a hard jump on the flexed TE flat route confirms Cover 2 or Cover 3 and opens the corner route behind him. Watch the boundary corner's depth at the snap, if he sinks deep immediately it usually signals Cover 4 or Cover 6 and you should look to the underneath out and up combo instead of forcing the corner throw. Track any user controlled safety rotating late to the trips side, since a lurking user defender jumping the corner route is the biggest threat to this concept and should push the quarterback to the backside high low instead. Watch for blitz packages that bring pressure off the weak side edge, since the running back's flat route can be delayed or interrupted by contain rushers and leaves no outlet against a well timed nano blitz. Against man coverage, look for linebackers or safeties trying to jam the flexed TE at the line, since a clean release usually means the flat route wins immediately against a green dot defender in zone drop.

Usage Tips

Pre-snap, identify if the defense shows two deep safeties, since this play is designed to exploit the seam the corner sits in against Cover 2 and Cover 4 shells that use hard flat defenders.

If you see man coverage instead, hot route the backside corner route into a slant or drag to give yourself a quicker rhythm throw against man leverage.

Use the trips side corner route as your first read anytime you see a single high safety cheating toward the boundary, since it forces the deep defender into a two way go he cannot win.

Pair this play with Stick or Curls from the same set to keep the defense honest on shorter zone drops before coming back to Smash once they start jumping underneath routes.

Attack third and medium to third and long situations with this play since it needs time to let the corner routes climb over the flat defenders.