A Simple RPO (Part II)
By Matt Kalb, Offensive Coordinator
McMurry University
We will do this (RPO with our slot receiver) out of either Trips Open (10-personnel) or X-Trips (11-personnel with trips away from the TE). The #3 receiver will take 3-steps and take an angle which will keep him away from the high Safety to his side. If the safety has his head-up or outside of #3’s alignment, then the receiver should break at a 30-degree angle to the middle (any shallower allows for the linebackers in the box to come into play). If the safety is in the middle of the field, the receiver should stay more vertical.
When we add the RPO to the Zone play, we’ve had to change our quarterback’s thought process to think pass first – meaning, you are throwing it unless the read reacts to cover the pass (which wasn’t too hard since most of our QB’s would rather throw it anyway). So as the QB is meshing with the tailback, he’s just making sure the Sam isn’t dropping; any other reaction triggers the QB to pull the ball and deliver the pass to #3 (Diagram 3)
Diagram 3
If we run into situations where the OLB is playing over #3 (or in a position to defend #3), the QB should pop his feet to the outside and throw to the WR Screen run by #1 and #2 (Diagram 3). The only look that would get us off the outside key would be man coverage. In this case, we would look to #3 on the Slant, or could go to the backside slant if in 10-personnel (Diagram 4).
Diagram 4
