Overview
Nebula is my most unique and devastating pure passing formation devised to date. It employs a completely wide open form that allows for almost any imaginable combination of routes to be run. The stacked receivers present matchup problems for man coverage. The closeness of the receivers to the offensive line, combined with the super deep shotgun position of the quarterback offers almost perfect vision and ability to take in at once an entire play as it unfolds. This lends itself well to the latest generation of mobile NFL quarterbacks, with the left and right flats often open for a scramble and improvised throw. These features make Nebula my favorite formation for running a hurry up offense.
   
 
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The deep QB position gives time to react to blitzes. This is a good thing, because pressure is a matter of fact in any formation with no blocking help. A team that does blitz is almost certain to foul up any plans for throwing deep down the field. Sill, opposing defenses will be gambling with a blitz. Because pressure is expected with every Nebula play, the routes have been designed to have more depth than with almost any other plays. While most Nebula plays send all five eligible receivers on pass patterns, there are typically 7 to 10 designed throws a QB can make, not counting anything improvisational. There are generally 2 or 3 route segments which are intended to work as hot reads against a blitz in addition to whatever the routes develop into later. This makes learning Nebula plays a challenging, even daunting task at times. I created the formation and its plays, and I still feel like I learn something new each time I run it.
Wide receiver assignments can be difficult to choose optimally in Nebula because every position will be used at some point. This makes depth in the receiving core much more valuable than greatness in the top few positions. The assignments given try to keep the left and right side fairly balanced while placing the most talent at the back. This allows the best receivers to work off of screens and decoys by the front line receivers. The fifth receiver is buried in the middle, making him best able to take advantage of the distraction of the better receivers around him. Every play works differently, but what you see should give nice results overall.
Plays
Nova
Nova bursts all five receivers into curving routes. No sharp cuts by the wideouts means that the play is wide open, the QB just has to track each receiver and throw to the open spots. In the hands of a savvy passer, Nova is tough to stop even if the defense sees it coming.
Switchblade
Probably my most versatile Nebula play, Switchblade attacks using routes with sharp cuts, excellent for quickly carving up defenses. Especially effective for punishing blitzers who think that a Nebula QB is easy prey.
Ricochet
Ricochet features five routes that all break at a single point. The changes in direction are mostly small, allowing receivers to make moves on the coverage while running at top speed.
Nimbus
A solid play for converting medium yardage and working the sidelines to preserve time on the clock. Easier reads than most other Nebula plays.
Contact Arkaein with any comments or questions regarding the Monstrous Madden Playbook.