Playbooks

Dig Cross

Shotgun·Y Off Trips Wk·11
DigPass PlayCrosser
Play diagram for Dig Cross from Shotgun Y Off Trips Wk in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

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Breakdown

Dig Cross is a trips-based dropback pass out of Shotgun Y Off Trips Wk that stresses the middle and boundary of the field with three distinct route depths. The backside X runs a vertical release straight up the seam to hold the deep safety, while from the trips side the inside slot runs a deep dig that breaks flat across the field and the outside receiver runs a crosser underneath that settles in the shallow middle. The RB releases out of the backfield on a flat/wheel route to the play side, giving the quarterback a layered progression: start with the deep dig as the primary read against zone, work down to the crosser as the man beater versus man coverage, and check down to the RB flat route if both are covered.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing a single high safety or two deep safeties, since that dictates whether the dig or the vertical route is live. Watch the flat defender and underneath linebackers on the trips side. If they widen out to the flat route, the crosser and dig both have more room to operate. Key the middle linebacker's drop. A slow-dropping mike who sits in the shallow zone can undercut the crosser, so be ready to climb the progression to the dig. This concept struggles against a hard inside blitz since the quarterback loses time to let the dig fully develop, so account for A gap or B gap pressure before the snap. Man coverage with underneath help, such as Cover 1 with a robber, is the toughest shell to beat here since the robber can sit on the crosser while the safety help erases the vertical threat.

Usage Tips

Use this on second and long or third and medium when you need a chain-moving in-breaking route with a built in checkdown safety valve.

Check the middle of the field pre-snap. If you see a single high safety, the vertical route on the backside is designed to hold him and open up the dig behind it.

Against man coverage, prioritize the crosser since natural pick action from the trips alignment creates separation versus tight man defenders.

If the defense shows Cover 2 or Cover 4 with two deep safeties, throw the dig quickly before the flat defender can sink under it and before the safety rotates over the top.

Pair this play with Mtn Y Cross or Boomerang Y Cross in the same set to give linebackers conflicting crossing route pictures on back to back snaps, forcing them to guess on drop angles.

Other Plays in Y Off Trips Wk