Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
RNS Army is a four verticals concept out of Trips Open Pistol with 10 personnel. The diagram shows the backside X running a vertical seam up the numbers, while the three trips receivers all push vertically as well, with the middle receiver running a go route and the inside slot bending into a seam read against the safety. This is a classic Cover 2 and Cover 3 beater built to stress the deep middle and hash defenders with four vertical stems from a spread look, and the primary read progression starts at the seam or post-breaking route in the middle of the field before working out to the numbers based on safety rotation.
Defensive Reads
Two high safeties pre-snap with soft corners is the biggest indicator that Cover 2 or Cover 3 is coming, both of which this concept is designed to exploit through the seams. Watch the middle linebacker or the deep hole defender in Cover 3, if he sits shallow you have a clean throwing lane up the pipe to the inside seam route. If the defense shows single high with the safety sprinting to the middle immediately at the snap, expect Cover 3 or Cover 1 robber, in which case work to the seam route away from the safety's leverage. Man coverage with press corners and no deep safety help is a red flag, since four verticals loses some of its advantage against a true two deep man look with a rushing lurk defender underneath. Watch for user-controlled safeties baiting the middle seam, if the safety sits and waits rather than committing to a deep third, hold the ball and look to the outside verticals instead.
Usage Tips
Take a pre-snap look at the safeties before the snap, if you see two high safeties sitting deep this is your green light since four verts is built to split Cover 2 shells right up the seams.
Key the middle of field defender post-snap, if he sits or bails hard to one side, throw off his leverage with the opposite seam route.
Use hot routes to convert the backside X into a comeback or hitch against Cover 3 if the corner is playing off, this gives you a quick answer without waiting on the verticals to clear.
Pair this call with RNS Hitches or RNS Houston Mesh on early downs to bait linebackers into shallow drops, then come back to RNS Army once the defense shows tendencies.
Best used on 2nd and long or 3rd and long situations where defenses are more likely to play deep shells like Cover 2 or Cover 3 that this concept is designed to attack.
