Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn RPO Zone Alert is an RPO out of Shotgun Bunch X Nasty that gives the QB a run-pass alert based on the second level defenders. Off the bunch, one receiver breaks outside on a deep comeback style route to the left sideline, one takes a vertical seam up the middle of the field, and the third releases outside to a deep out breaking route to the right, creating a natural high low zone stretch with three levels of separation. The primary read progression starts with the inside seam route for a big play window against zone, then works to the outside comeback or out breaker if the underneath defenders squeeze the middle, all while the run action underneath stays alive as the alert if the box count favors the ground game.
Defensive Reads
Look for a single high safety shell which signals man coverage underneath and opens the seam route for a explosive gain Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they sit shallow to defend the run the seam and comeback windows open up behind them Cover 3 zone drops can be beaten by the seam sitting behind the flat defenders, target that window on your first read Against Cover 2 with two deep safeties, throw the comeback route to the sideline before the corner can sink under it If the defense shows a run blitz with linebackers crashing downhill, pull the ball immediately and go through the pass progression
Usage Tips
Check the box count pre-snap and pull the ball if you see six or more defenders stacked in the run fit
Motion the bunch receiver before the snap to force the defense to declare man or zone coverage early
If the safety cheats over the top of the seam route, hot route the comeback route into a hitch to speed up the sideline read
Use this on early downs in the RPO series when defenses are geared to stop Inside Zone from this same personnel group
Pair this with Mtn Outside Zone and Mtn HB Shovel to keep the defense guessing between true runs and RPO looks from the same bunch alignment
