Playbooks

Shallow Cross Smash

Shotgun·Wing Trips Wk Nasty·11

Shallow Cross Smash Pass Play Cover 2 Beater Crosser

Play diagram for Shallow Cross Smash from Shotgun Wing Trips Wk Nasty in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetWing Trips Wk Nasty

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 4 playbooks

Bengals OffenseOffense Steelers OffenseOffense NFL Live Bengals OffenseOffense NFL Live Steelers OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Shallow Cross Smash gives you a true smash concept to the trips side paired with a shallow crosser working from the opposite receiver back across the field underneath the defense. The far side runs a corner route stacked over a flat route to attack Cover 2 and other two high shells with the classic high low smash read, while the shallow crosser drags underneath the trips side to give you a built in answer against man coverage and zone blitzes. Blocking is standard pass protection with no extra help called out in the diagram, so this is a quick timing based dropback pass. Primary read progression starts with the corner over flat smash combo, then works back to the shallow crosser as your safety valve against pressure or trailing man coverage.

Defensive Reads

Watch the corner over the trips side, if he sinks with the corner route and the flat defender widens for the flat you have a clean smash window between them, this beats Cover 2 and Cover 4 shells that funnel the flat and corner into different defenders. If the defense shows Cover 3 or Cover 1, the deep third or man defender can erase the corner route, so shift your eyes immediately to the shallow crosser working underneath. Key the middle linebacker depth at the snap, a linebacker sitting shallow in the throwing lane or spying the crosser is a sign of a lurk defender or man match scheme designed to jump the drag route. Look for blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge, since the shallow crosser clears fast and can be a built in answer against pressure before the pocket collapses. Press man coverage on the outside corner tips a man beater matchup for the corner route, but if the corner sits off and reads your quarterback's eyes, expect him to jump the route and bait an interception.

Usage Tips

Presnap identify if the defense is showing two high shells, if the safeties stay deep and outside the numbers you have a clean smash read on the corner route sitting behind the flat defender. If corners are pressed at the line expect man coverage, in that case get to your shallow crosser fast since it naturally picks up separation working across traffic. Use this on second and medium or third and short to give yourself both a quick underneath answer and a deep shot if the defense bites on the flat route. Hot route the shallow crosser to a hook or spot if you see a rat linebacker sitting in the middle of the field, this keeps him from squatting on the crossing route. Pair this with Y Mtn Drive or PA Crossers earlier in a series so the defense respects the crosser and opens up the corner route over the top on smash. Against zone blitz looks, throw the shallow crosser in rhythm since it clears the middle before extra rushers can get home.