Playbooks

Stick Nod Vertical

Shotgun·Wing Flex Offset·12
StickStick ConceptPass Play
Play diagram for Stick Nod Vertical from Shotgun Wing Flex Offset in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 7 playbooks

Broncos OffenseOffenseBrowns OffenseOffenseLions OffenseOffenseRun N Gun OffenseOffenseNFL Live Broncos OffenseOffenseNFL Live Browns OffenseOffenseNFL Live Lions OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Stick Nod Vertical lines up out of Shotgun Wing Flex Offset with 12 personnel, showing two receivers stacked tight to the boundary and a receiver plus tight end to the strong side. To the boundary, one receiver runs a quick out while the other nods up and breaks flat underneath, forming the classic stick triangle read. On the strong side, the flanker releases vertically up the sideline while the inline tight end fires off a hitch and then climbs vertical as well, and the play shows the quarterback stepping up into a pocket with a defender rushing off the edge, indicating this is a straight dropback pass with no blocking help sent out on routes. This is primarily a zone beater built off the stick concept, with the primary progression starting on the boundary stick triangle (out, nod, flat) before working to the strong side vertical shot if the coverage rotates away from it.

Defensive Reads

Pre snap, identify single high versus two high safety shells, since single high alignments open up the vertical route on the strong side against a lone deep defender. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, shallow linebackers who immediately squat on the stick nod are vulnerable to the flat route and to the strong side vertical if the safety has to help underneath. Cover 3 with a hard curl to flat defender flying out to the flat can take away the underneath stick triangle, forcing the quarterback to hold the ball and target the vertical route instead. User the deep half or deep third defender to the strong side to disrupt the vertical shot, since that route is the built in explosive play answer if the underneath zones sit on the stick concept. Man coverage with no help over the top on the strong side vertical is a hard beat for this play, so blitzes that bring extra rushers without deep safety help can get exposed if the quarterback has time.

Usage Tips

Use this against teams that show two high safeties pre snap since the stick concept on the boundary is designed to sit defenders down in zone drops and create easy throwing lanes underneath.

Check the flat defender and curl to flat player before the snap, if they are shallow and squatting on the stick, look to hit the nod route sitting behind the linebackers for a bigger chunk gain.

Hot route the backside stick receiver into a quicker option or motion a receiver to confirm man versus zone if you are worried about pattern matching linebackers jumping the flat route.

Pair this with Y Lead Read Opt or Inside Zone from the same set to keep defenses honest on run fits, then come back to Stick Nod Vertical once the safeties start creeping into the box.

Best called on second and medium to second and long, where the stick triangle gives you a high floor completion and the vertical route gives you a legitimate shot play if the defense overplays the short stuff.

Other Plays in Wing Flex Offset