Playbooks

RPO Zone Snag

Shotgun·Normal Y Off Close·11

RPO Snag Snag Concept Pass Play Run Play Cover 3 Beater

Diagram coming soon

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetNormal Y Off Close

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 2 playbooks

Bears OffenseOffense NFL Live Bears OffenseOffense

Breakdown

RPO Zone Snag is a run pass option out of Shotgun 11 personnel that pairs an inside zone run with a Snag concept to the play side, giving the quarterback a true conflict read on the alley defender or flat defender. The Snag combo stacks a corner route, a flat route, and a spot route underneath, making this an effective zone beater against Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells where the flat defender has to choose between the run fit and the underneath throw. The primary progression starts with the pre-snap run read on the box count, then moves to the flat defender for the give or throw decision, and finally works to the corner route if the defense sucks up on the run.

Defensive Reads

Identify the flat defender immediately after the snap since he is the primary conflict defender in this RPO, if he sits on the run fit the throw window opens underneath. Watch the corner or safety depth on the play side to see if they are playing off in Cover 3, since that cushion determines whether the corner route or the flat route is the higher percentage throw. Key the linebacker depth before the snap, stacked and shallow linebackers signal a run blitz look that should push you toward pulling the ball and throwing quickly. Against Cover 4 or pattern match zones, watch for a user controlled defender lurking in the shallow zone since that can jump the spot route and bait a turnover. If the defense shows man coverage with no extra run support, this becomes a straightforward numbers advantage handoff since the RPO route combo is secondary in that alignment.

Usage Tips

Count the box before the snap and if the defense has six or fewer defenders in the box, lean toward handing off the zone run since numbers favor the offensive line. If a seventh defender is sitting on the line or crashing down late, pull it and throw to the flat or spot route since the RPO read is designed to punish that extra run defender. Use the corner route as your alert throw against Cover 3 since the flat defender getting sucked into run support opens up the sideline window for a chunk gain. Pair this play with RPO Zone Stick and RPO Zone Peek Glance in the same drive to keep the defense guessing on which route concept is attached to the zone run look. This play shines on early downs and second and short since the run threat is credible enough to hold linebackers, but it can also be a low risk conversion tool on second and medium if the defense shows soft zone shells.