Playbooks

Bench Z-Dig

Singleback·Deuce Close·12

Dig Bench Pass Play

Play diagram for Bench Z-Dig from Singleback Deuce Close in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationSingleback

SetDeuce Close

Personnel

121 RB · 2 TE · 2 WR

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Breakdown

Bench Z-Dig lines up out of Singleback Deuce Close with 12 personnel, using two attached tight ends and a single running back. Both outside receivers run bench routes breaking hard to the sideline, one tight end runs a deep dig across the middle from the boundary, the other releases underneath to the flat, and the running back leaks out to the opposite flat off a chip release. This is a man beater and zone beater hybrid, with the primary read starting on the Z receiver's dig route working across the field before checking down to the flat routes underneath if the middle is clogged.

Defensive Reads

Read the middle linebacker depth at the snap, if he sinks too deep in zone drops the underneath flat route from the tight end will be wide open for an easy checkdown. Watch for a user controlled safety sitting in the deep middle, since that lurk threat is the biggest risk to the dig route and can bait a turnover if you force it late. Identify if the defense shows Cover 3 or Cover 4 shells pre-snap, both of these zone shells struggle to cover the horizontal stretch created by the bench routes combined with the crossing dig. Look for a blitz off the edge since the running back's flat release can also serve as a check valve, but a well timed nano blitz up the middle can disrupt the quarterback before the dig fully develops. Man coverage with no safety help over the top is the ideal shell to attack, the combination of the bench route clearing space and the dig crossing underneath creates natural rub and separation.

Usage Tips

Check for single high safety pre-snap since the deep dig route needs a soft middle of the field to sit down in the void between linebackers and safeties.

Use the bench routes on the outside as your first hot read against man coverage, especially if you see a corner playing off leverage since the sideline break creates instant separation.

Save this play for third and medium to third and long situations where the dig route can move the sticks and the underneath flat routes give you a safety valve versus a blitz.

Pair this call with Bench earlier in a series to condition the defense to bite on the shorter route, then hit the Z-Dig for a bigger chunk play once linebackers start jumping the flats.

Motion check the flat route release if you see a linebacker walked out over the slot, since that tells you man coverage is likely and the dig will have room to work against zone drops instead.