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RPO Highlights and Concepts
This series will look at some of the NFL RPO concepts and plays. I will add to it throughout the weeks to come. Top RPO's from NFL Teams.
Run Pass Options are very popular in the NFL. They are used by various teams at the college level as well. You are seeing more and more rpo's and teams getting creative with them.
Below they are broken down in order:
1. 11 personnel
2. 20 personnel
3. 21 personnel
4. 12 personnel
5. 10 personnel
6. Same Side RPO
11 personnel
Iso RPO read the SS
Here they run it off of iso and have the out cut to the 1 wr side. Burrow reads off coverage and throws the easy completion. Center and left guard combo to the away side lb. H back is leading up to playside lb.
Here's a duo rpo from Burrow at LSU
11 P
Notre Dame runs the out cut to the boundary vs Pitt who loves to play press quarters. Tough to defend because the LB has to play run, the CB plays #1 vertical m/m and the the safety is at 10 yards. Easy completion and read.
Vs NC State- You get alot of cover 1 combo with the LB combo the TE from NC State. Miami 2020 takes advantage vs NC State runs a nice rpo as the LB's get fooled on the heavy run action, easy read for the qb on the te seem route as lb and safety get sold on the run.
11 personnel rpo
3x1 TE strong
Here's a duo rpo from Burrow at LSU
He reads the outside lb and throws the out cut for an easy 10 yard gain. This was an easy read as the lb stayed home and played the run.
11personnel
Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina runs an out cut off Duo
Wr combo is a 10 yard hook with an out cut(curl flat concept)
QB reads cover 3 and throws the out cut
11 personnel
TE Flanked and motioned back
Here's a split zone RPO with a fade route.
Analysis: te motions/ss who walked out motions back telling Mahomes it's man. He knows he has the single coverage on the fade with the built in run option.
11 personnel TE in #1 wr slot
2x2
Dec 5
Chiefs run inside zone rpo with a simple out cut for 19 yards.
nice design vs a soft coverage for 19 yards.
Kansas State
QB Lead Counter
They motion to 3x1 and the qb has the option to throw the bubble or run the qb counter. Here he gets #'s and decides to run lead counter. Nice design by Kansas State.
20 personnel
Lincoln Riley
RPO arrow route with 2 blockers.
2 back RPO
Now, this is an Rpo and has some zone read elements, with the Qb reading the DE/LB, the nice part about this it is a designed pass to the HB and the wr are blocking downfield, which makes me thing it's an RPO. If the DE Takes QB I assume he gives it, but I know some teams who read the LB for the pass option which makes sense to me.
Excellent design and play in short yardage.Have 2 blockers on the perimeter
Ball caught behind line with 2 lead blockers
Good execution
The Bengals run some nice RPO's off of 2 back. Glance Route
The Bengals run a nice same side rpo to Green off the pin and pull action and the center wrapping for the de. The Lg and LT combo to the lb and the te in the backfield leads. He pulls it after reading the SS and throws the slant in the window for 12
Sell the run action and get the wr on the glance route
Nice fake off 2 back and cover 3 which opens up the window.
Baylor:
20/11 personnel below depending on what you call the fullback. H Back insert ,bender RPO
This is a great concept vs zone either 4 or cover 2. You can see the read on both. One was a give and the other was a pull
21 personnel
pro right gun
49ers outside zone ,Y cross rpo
Great play with the horizontal outside zone run game.
They often run this play out of 21 personnel because teams often go 4-3 vs them with a cover 3 look.
The 49ers love to run this on 1st down. Outside zone , qb reads the mike and they hit the te dragging the other way.
Here are 2 clips of the concept
Dolphins 21
pro right strong with motion
The Dolphins will get a ton of cover 2 which makes this rpo very effective. It's a good cover 2 beater.
The dolphins run some nice variations and this is one of their best. It is very effective vs cover 2 because the #1 route has to be taken by the safety and they in essence or trying to high low the safety. Now they also run a snag version which makes defending them quite difficult.
12 personnel
RB leads to the flat
DE sits so Tua pulls it and throws to the flat
CB sits right read but he overthrows it.
Could have been a nice completion!
Ball underthrown, could have been a big gain.
3 over 2 rpo
The 49ers ran the following RPO against the Rams. They did a great job getting the ball on the perimeter.You can see the 2 clips below. Either run the swing or give it on the outside zone.
12 personnel
Lincoln Riley 12 personnel 3x1 Run Pass Option off the counter.
Nice screen off the counter game
Fake the counter and throw it to the wr with the 2 TE lead blocking
Get the counter fake to the left and 2 lead blockers to the wr on the swing.
Defense in cover 2 so it's a nice read by the QB with blockers on the perimeter
Dolphins Vs Jets
They ran it in both meetings with the Jets, here they hit it for a nice 25 yard gain. Again, you know you are getting cover 2 but because they also have the snag option, they put some different concepts into use which causes confusion defensively.
The route combo: #1 on the slant. #2 on the wheel/swing and #3 coming across to the flat. The cb hangs on the slant which opens the swing for a 25 yard gain
Reads the OLB and the H is open
Good design as the h is uncovered on the wheel route below
Easy throw and completion
Very nice design by the Dolphins.
The Cardinals run a zone rpo with a slant out cut. The #2 wr opens the window with a bubble.
Heres is the clip of the RPO
The Packers run a same side rpo to Devante Adams in 12 personnel
The run is zone and Rodgers has the option to throw it to Adams. Pre snap read tells him to take the Adams option. Here they throw him the ball. The defense is in cover 3 with an off corner back.
Cover 3 with the CB way off so they take the screen option.
Good fake as you can see it developing. Gets his playmaker the ball in space.
Defense is 4 over 3 to to the top of the screen and the CB is off so take the easy slant.
Baylor:
20/11 personnel below depending on what you call the fullback. H Back insert ,bender RPO
This is a great concept vs zone either 4 or cover 2. You can see the read on both. One was a give and the other was a pull
10 personnel
UNC runs it's man beater vs Duke.
Duke is in man free coverage with 2 rat (underneath zone defenders) playing run and curl/flat zones.
Nice double in concept
Good read and throw.
10 personnel
Eagles run inside zone rpo with a stick route concept.
QB reads leverage and makes a good throw.
Nice pass and completion
Packers wide zone rpo, hits Adams on the slant in a tight window.
12 personnel off the wide zone.
Nice job from their condensed formation
SAME SIDE RPO
The Cardinals run a same side rpo, meaning they run the rpo to the same side to where the run is going rather than read the traditional style rpo. If pre snap you read cover 1/3 throw the ball. You don't like the look on the perimeter hand it off. Really a presnap read of the walk up ss or lb to Hopkins side.
He goes to Hopkins for a big gain. Ran it 2 times for 28 yards vs. the Jets. video below
The next RPO is the Bears ran. The play appears to be a zone right with an rpo #'s check built in. The RPO is a zone/man rpo.
Here's how to works. The qb has 2 options.
Option #1- If the linebacker runs with the motion man, they are going to hand the ball off.
Option #2- If they get no reaction from the linebackers, they and get 3 over 2 on the perimeter they will throw the ball to the running back.
The objective is to try to get Miller their talented wr the ball in space. If the defense reacts and take a lb out of the box, give the football
Easy yet effective rpo. They just have to block it.
Here is the film clip
The RPO below is the one the Chiefs ran twice in their game vs the Texans.
They are reading the will lb. They motion Hill into the #3 position then run him to the flat to help create more of a window. The Qb is throwing the slant based on what the will lb does.
If the will lb fills or plays run he will throw the slant. If the lb holds and freezes and their is no window Mahomes will give the ball.
Here is the Ravens wide zone RPO vs the Colts.
1st and 10 2nd half nice 14 yard completion. Nice route by #2 on the slant route.
Here's the Bears version of the wide zone rpo. Similar play from Matt Nagy, Andy Reid's former qb coach.
Here is a picture of one and a video of the other.
RPO TO TE WEAK 2x2
nice design for a 4 yard gain
Nice Snag concept to the TE side
Ravens vs Titans Counter rpo out of 2x2 out of 12 personnel with condensed formation opposite tight end wing out. The Ravens ran this 2x for 29 yards in the playoff game vs the Titans.
Nice run action to the right with the counter scheme. Defense goes cover 3 which opens thesnag concept
Nice 2 man snag pattern again
49ers
Heres the 49ers wide zone rpo hitting Kittle coming across in 21 personnel.
Look at Garapola's eyes as you can see him watching the lb. Great play design as they are bringing a player across the formation and running the rpo.
GREENBAY PACKERS
Watch the Packers RPO. Same play but the alignment of the defense decides what Rodgers will do.
There are 2 clips here. One is when they will throw to #3 Adams because they are 3x2 on the perimeter.If the Vikings had another defender out there he would hand off the video like in video clip #2 below
2 Packer RPO Clips
In the 2nd clip on the video, they run the ball because the Vikings put 3 defenders on the 3 wr so they give the footbal to the running back.
Heres another RPO by the 49ers.
Look at all the movement and shifting to get the look and they run it because they like the matchup against man free. The Patriots have a tendency to run the cb deep and Shanahan knows it and its a great play design.
North Texas runs a nice rpo in the red zone out of 12 personnel. Nice route and read off the counter scheme. Slant route and read the ss/olb.
New:
The Dolphins are one of the best at running the rpo with Tua. They deserve a whole section on it. They really do a nice job with it.
The route combo: #1 on the slant. #2 on the wheel/swing and #3 coming across to the flat. The cb hangs on the slant which opens the swing for a 25 yard gain
Same Side RPO
Baylor Same Side RPO (Run action to the side of the pass)
The Glance RPO is predicated on the action of the safety. IF the safety fills hard or vacates like below throw the glance. If not, give the football.
Same side RPO
Nicedesign as the presnap indication allows this throw to be made.
Nice design and execution
Here's some footage of the Glance Route!
Maryland Same side RPO,
Read the safety, he plays run, throw the ball to the #1 wr on he glance route on the bottom of the screen.
safety starts to fill , qb reads it and throws the glance route.
pass pass option
2x2 to 3x1
Corners outside leverage- run a slant
Here is the slant example where you can run the swing or run a slant pattern. Why a slant? Cb is outside leverage. The SS travels so the numbers aren't there for the swing but there is a great window for the slant.
To me the qb can throw the swing if it's 3x1 or the ss stays home. Since the ss traveled, he throws the slant. Nice design.
These are just some of the RPO's you see on Sunday and in college.
RPO Videos:
Doug Pederson
https://www.nfl.com/videos/game-pass-film-session-the-art-of-the-rpo-run-pass-option-with-doug-pederson
Matt Rhule RPO Clinic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz_VHfXDa7s
Alabama DUO Bubble
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6CYuTg6eA8
Glance RPO
https://weeklyspiral.com/2021/10/25/glance-rpo/
Tiffin
Play action and RPO Game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHxfU4441vU
Chiefs Cut ups
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl6ydoV8gCo
LSU Cut ups
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9gENGb7n4U
Ole Miss Cut ups
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w4q8fpplBc
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