Playbooks

TE Stick Fade

Singleback·Wing·12

Fade Stick Stick Concept Pass Play

Play diagram for TE Stick Fade from Singleback Wing in Madden 27

Quick Reference

FormationSingleback

SetWing

Personnel

121 RB · 2 TE · 2 WR

In 3 playbooks

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Breakdown

TE Stick Fade lines up out of Singleback Wing with 12 personnel and stacks a stick concept on the backside with a fade route up top. The X to the left runs a shallow out and up route, the inline TE releases vertically before breaking into a corner route, the wing TE runs a quick out to the flat, and the outside receiver on the right side takes the fade up the sideline. This is a man beater built around the fade winning one on one on the outside while the stick concept underneath gives a quick answer versus zone drops, with the primary read progression going fade first for the big play shot, then working down to the corner route breaking underneath it, and finally checking down to the flat route on the wing.

Defensive Reads

Watch the cornerback press or off alignment on the fade side pre-snap, tight press man with no safety help is a big red flag for the offense and a green light for the fade throw. Identify the deep safety shell before the snap, a single high safety rotating to the fade side signals Cover 3 or Cover 1 and tells the quarterback to expect the corner underneath the fade as the primary target instead. Key the flat defender's depth and leverage after the snap, if he sinks too deep chasing the fade route's stem the flat route on the wing becomes wide open for an easy checkdown. Look for a user controlled defender sitting in the short zone or playing a lurk technique over the stick concept, this can jump the corner route and bait a bad throw if the quarterback does not fully clear his first read. Man coverage with inside linebacker blitz packages can rush the quarterback before the fade develops, so recognize A gap or B gap pressure looks pre-snap and be ready to hot route the flat route into a quicker option if the protection is outnumbered.

Usage Tips

Take a pre-snap look at the cornerback aligned over the fade route, if he is playing off man coverage with no safety help over the top this is your green light to throw the fade on time. Use motion or a hard count to bait the linebacker over the flat route into declaring man or zone before the snap. Against zone shells with a deep half safety rotated to the fade side, work the corner route underneath since it settles into the void created by the flat defender pushing to the sideline. This play shines on third and medium to third and long when defenses are more likely to sit in zone coverage and give up the stick concept underneath. Pair this play with TE Stick and PA TE Flood in the same set so the defense has to respect both the vertical fade shot and the underneath stick answer, keeping linebackers honest and opening throwing lanes on subsequent snaps.