I Form Close

Playbook: New Orleans Saints

Formation: I Form Close

Play: PA Saints Shot (Deep Shot Play)

Setup:

1. Put your X/square receiver on an out route and smart route him
2. Put your tight end on an in route and smart route him
3. Block your running back to cancel the play action
4. (Recommended) Double team the outside most rusher on the left side of the screen

Reads:

1. If you have a good/fast receiver in the B/circle WR spot, he should get open deep against cover 2, cover 2 man, cover 3, and cover 4 (see the video for timing and lead passing)

Overview: Make sure to run this play when you are on the right hash mark and have your fastest wide receiver in the B/circle spot.

Playbook: New Orleans Saints

Formation: I Form Close

Play: PA Saints Shot (Base Play)

Setup:

1. Put the B/circle receiver on a hitch route
2. Put the tight end on a streak route
3. Do whatever you want with your running backs

Reads:

1. Your B/circle receiver on a hitch route should get open for a 5 yard pass against 90% of zone coverages you see.
2. If he is covered, we want to hit the X/square receiver deep on the crossing route who will also be open unless user covered.

Overview: This 3 man route combination can drive your opponent nuts just because of how hard it is to defend both the B/circle receiver and the X/square receiver at the same time.

Playbook: New Orleans Saints

Formation: I Form Close

Play: PA Saints Shot (Base Play Version 2)

Setup:

1. Put the tight end on a streak route
2. Put the B/circle receiver on a drag route and motion him to the left
3. Put your running back on a curl route
4. (Recommended) Double team the outside most pass rusher on the right side of the screen.

Reads:

1. This is a simple high/low read coming across the field between the B/circle receiver on the drag and the X/square receiver on the deep crossing route. Just throw to whoever is open
2. If they are both covered, that likely means your opponent ran his user defender all the way over to the right side to defend the drag and crossing route so your Y/triangle receiver should be open for about 5-10 yards.

Overview: It can be helpful to roll out to the right a little on this play. If you make your reads correctly, at least 1 receiver should be open every time you run this play.

Playbook: New Orleans Saints

Formation: I Form Close

Play: PA Saints Shot (Man Defense Beater)

Setup:

1. Put your running back on an out route to the right
2. Put your B/circle receiver on a slant route

Reads:

1. Both the B/circle receiver and the X/square receiver will get wide open against any man to man coverage
2. Just throw to the receiver that your opponent’s user doesn’t follow

Overview: A lot of people love to call man to man coverage especially early on in the Madden season. This play will get them out of it.

Playbook: New Orleans Saints

Formation: I Form Close

Play: PA HB Wheel (Cover 2 Beater)

Setup:

1. (Optional) Put your tight end on a streak route
2. Motion your B/circle receiver to the right
3. (Optional) Cancel the play action by hot routing your running back to block or go to an out route to the right

Reads:

1. Against any cover 2 defense (with or without zone drops), your B/circle receiver will get wide open. Lead pass to the sideline
2. If you have a good fast receiver, he will also get open against cover 2 man.
3. Then look to the X/square receiver over the middle or your running back

Overview: Make sure to run this play from the left hash mark (to the wide side of the field) otherwise it will not work.

Playbook: New Orleans Saints

Formation: I Form Close

Play: Drag Wheel (Cover 3 Beater)

Setup:

1. Put your B/circle receiver on a fade route
2. Block your fullback and running back (or put one of them on a hot route of your choice)

Reads:

1. Your main read on this play is the B/circle receiver deep (lead pass to the sideline)
2. If he is covered, or if your opponent isn’t in cover 3, look to the X/square receiver on the drag route
3. Your final read is the tight end on the corner route

Overview: Only run this play to the wide side of the field (from the left hash mark) or it will not work.

Playbook: New Orleans Saints

Formation: I Form Close

Play: Flanker Drive (Cover 2 Beater)

Setup:

1. Hot route your tight end to a streak route
2. Block your fullback
3. Put your running back on a curl route

Reads:

1. Your primary read on this play is the X/square receiver against cover 2 and cover 2 man
2. If he is covered, look to the B/circle receiver on the drag route or the running back on the curl route

Overview: Make sure to run this play from the right hash mark.

Playbook: New Orleans Saints

Formation: I Form Close

Play: PA TE Corner

Setup:

1. Put your tight end on a streak route
2. Block your fullback
3. Put your running back on a curl route and motion him to the left

Reads:

1. Your main read on this play is the B/circle receiver on the drag route
2. If your opponent manually covers it, your X/square receiver should be wide open

Overview: This play should work well because your opponent at this point should be very concerned about the crossing route. That should leave your B/circle receiver open and able to turn the ball up field for a decent gain.

Playbook: New Orleans Saints

Formation: I Form Close

Play: Inside Zone

Setup: None required

Overview: Just follow your blockers. You may want to kick it outside if you see an opening.