Zona Spread Offensive Guide

Offensive Guide

INTRODUCTION Welcome to the Zona Spread Offensive Guide! This guide is filled with an in-depth look at running a spread offense on Madden 17. Normally people want money plays, so we included some of those as well. This guide is far more than just money plays however, this guide will teach you the basic concepts of running a spread offense that you will be able to carry over each year as new Madden games comes out. To make sure that we can accomplish that task we will walk you through the offense from start to finish. A lot of guys skip the reading when they purchase guides and jump straight to the videos and setups. DON’T DO THAT! Some of the most valuable information you will find in this guide is contained in the written sections. We will walk you through the following;

  • The Basic Goals of the Spread Offense
  • How to Choose Your Personnel
  • What Reads to Make Pre-Snap
  • What Reads to Make Post-Snap
  • When to Audible and Why
  • How to Progress Through Your Reads

As you can see, we are going deep with this one. The best thing about this guide is that while it is incredibly effective in an online ranked mode environment, it is also about as simulation as it gets, so you could use it in your Madden 17 CFM as well. So without further delay, let’s get into the Zona Spread Offensive Guide!

What Plays To Audible To

Zona Spread Offensive Guide

This section of the offensive guide goes over some of the plays that we have access to in our Audibles. More importantly however, we will list a cheat sheet of when to audible into those plays. Play calling is half the battle in Madden 17, and a lot of times Madden players are overly eager to change their play at the line with absolutely no rhyme or reason. This section should alleviate some of that.

Gun Spread: Inside Zone

  1. No Adjustments

Why: Audible to this if you see 5 or less players in the box. When: This is a good audible in many situations. As long as there are 5 or less players in the box, audible to this in any situation except third and long.

Gun Spread: Curl Flats

  1. No Adjustments

Why: If you see a zero blitz coming (no safeties deep or they are lined up wider than normal) or believe they are blitzing from cover 3 zone. When: This play will get about 7-8 yards if the Curl can be completed, but only about 3-4 if you are forced to check down to the flat. So make sure it is either an early down or the yards you need coincide with what the play will get.

Gun Flip Trips: Slot Trail

  1. Streak the RB (Optional)

Why: Use this audible if they are using man press on defense. When: If they are in man coverage and either playing on the safety from 2 man under, or sending zero blitzes and pressing you can run this pretty much anytime you want to take a shot downfield with the outside left WR.

Gun Flip Trips: HB Draw 1.) No Adjustments Why: Use this audible if they are using a lot of max coverage defense because with no one playing the run you will average about 6 yards. When: Best to use this on first and ten or second and medium against max coverage style opponents. This gives us room to recover if it doesn’t work out.

Gun Trips HB Wk: Stick

  1. No Adjustments

Why: This is a great concept to go to if your opponent is blitzing from a backed off look a lot. When: This is a short yardage concept so make sure it is either an early down, or you only need about 5 yards for a first down.

Gun Trips HB Wk: HB Base

  1. No Adjustments

Why: Use this run if the defense has players stacked to the left of the screen or they have 6 or less in the box with an even number on each side of the center. When: This would be something to occasionally go to on second and short or third and short. First down is a possibility too but if you don’t get at least 4 yards you will be putting yourself behind the sticks.

Gun Trips HB Wk: PA WR In

  1. Place the Inside WR on an Out Route
  2. Place the RB on a Delay Route

Why: This is a go to passing concept so use it when you need to convert and are a bit confused by what the defense might be doing. When: This play has big play potential and short reads as well so use it whenever you are not comfortable in something else.

Using Verticals to Destroy the Coverage

Zona Spread Offensive Guide

This section of the offensive guide goes over the use of Four Verticals from Gun Spread. This is also an audible, how ever it is so useful that we decided to give it it’s own section. Below we will break down the setups to use with Verticals against each look and the reads against each coverage.

Gun Spread: Four Verticals (Against Pressed Corners)

  1. Drag Left Slot WR
  2. Place Short Side Outside Corner on a Comeback

Gun Spread: Four Verticals (Against Backed Off Corners)

  1. Place the Short Side Outside WR on a Smart Routed Out Route
  2. Place the Left Slot WR on a Drag

Gun Spread: Four Verticals vs. 2 Man Under

  1. Watch Video

Gun Spread: Four Verticals vs. Cover 2 Zone

  1. Watch Video

Gun Spread: Four Verticals vs Cover 3/4 Zone

  1. Watch Video

Gun Spread: Four Verticals vs. Cover 3 Match

  1. Watch Video

Gun Spread: Four Verticals vs. Cover 6/9/3 Cloud

  1. Watch Video

Base Plays

Zona Spread Offensive Guide

This section of the offensive guide goes over the plays that we want to come to the line in for the 4WR personnel. None of these plays appear in your audibles and all provide a good amount of flexibility to attack your opponent in different ways, except WR Screen, which is specific to heavy zone blitzing opponents. Get familiar with these plays, use the one you like the best the most, and then get familiar with the audibles above so that you can audible appropriately.

Gun Spread: Zona Corner

  1. Multiple Setups
  2. Watch Video

Gun Spread: X Follow

  1. Adjust Right Outside WR Based on Coverage

Gun Spread: WR Screen

  1. No Adjustments

Gun Spread: Zona Flood

  1. Two Setups, Watch Video

Gun Flip Trips: Deep Fork

  1. Adjust Right Outside WR as Needed (See Video)

Gun Trips HB Wk: Smash

  1. Place Right Slot WR on an In Route
  2. Smart Route Right Outside WR (optional)

Money Plays

Zona Spread Offensive Guide

This section of the offensive guide will cover money plays from throughout the rest of the Arizona Cardinal’s playbook. These plays do not fit within our 4WR Spread Scheme, but are great plays that you can mix in during the game in situations where you want to convert and believe showing the defense something new is the best option.

Gun Snugs: PA Zona Cross

  1. Hot Route Left Outside WR to a Smart Routed Out
  2. Motion Left Outside WR to Left

Gun Bunch HB Str: Y-Trail

  1. Multiple Setups, See Video

Gun Ace Twins Offset: Posts

  1. Place Slot WR on Flat Route
  2. Place Left TE on Streak

I-Form Twins: PA FB Flat

  1. Swing the RB
  2. In Route the TE

[mp_video src=”https://vimeo.com/187183071″ margin=”none,none,none,none”]

Zona's Best Runs

Zona Spread Offensive Guide

This section of the offensive guide lists some of the best run plays from the Arizona Cardinal’s Playbook. In a game dominated by the run game, these are about as good as most money plays throwing the ball. Below we have listed the top 5 under center runs, and the top 5 gun runs (not in the scheme already) in the playbook.

Top 5 Under Center Runs:

  1. Singleback Jumbo Pair: HB Stretch
  2. Singleback Tight Flex Wk: HB Zone Wk
  3. I-Form Pro Twins: HB Stretch
  4. Strong Pro: Stretch
  5. Weak Flex Twins: HB Gut

Top 5 Pistol/Gun Runs:

  1. Pistol Twin TE Flex: Strong Power
  2. Gun Split Close: FB Inside
  3. Gun Ace Twins Offset: Inside Zone
  4. Gun Bunch HB Str: Inside Zone
  5. Gun Wing Trio Wk: 56 Trap/Inside Zone

11/3/16 Update Content

Popular Formations

This section of the offensive guide goes over some of the more popular formations in the Arizona Offensive Playbook. These formations are what make Zona’s spread better than say NYG or Indy. Zona has a ton of great formations to go around the spread when you run into someone that does a great job of locking up spread and/or has a blitz that makes spread hard to run.

11/9/16 Update Content

Popular Formations

This update of the guide is an overview of the “2 back” formations from Arizona. This video is not your typical setup video, but more an in-depth look in a film room format. If you are interested in mixing this in please watch the video to see how Kilo runs this in an actual game.