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Quick Reference
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Breakdown
RPO Peek Slant is a run pass option out of Shotgun Spread Y-Flex 11 personnel that pairs an inside handoff look with a quick slant/flat combo to the boundary. Off the diagram, the two outside receivers run a slant and flat combo (yellow routes) while the backside receiver on the other side of the formation clears vertically up the sideline (red route) to hold that defender, and the inside run action gets a peek read for the quarterback. The primary progression is run key first, then peek the flat defender: if the alley defender bites down on the run, pull and hit the flat route, and if he sits soft, hand it off or take the slant window underneath.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flat defender and alley run fit presnap, if a linebacker is stacked tight to the box he is the conflict defender the RPO is designed to attack. Zone coverages with a flat defender who sits and reads the backfield will struggle to cover both the run gap and the flat route, making this a strong zone beater against Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells. Man coverage that plays tight on the outside receivers can jump the slant route, so look for a cornerback pressed low presnap as a sign the underneath throw might be taken away. Post snap, if the linebacker keys run and flows hard downhill, expect the flat throw to be uncontested for an easy gain. A disciplined defense that has a linebacker or safety spy the mesh point without committing to the run or the flat neutralizes this play, so avoid calling it into defenses showing two deep safeties who can rob the flat route late.
Usage Tips
Presnap, count the box defenders and identify if the alley or slot defender is cheating down before the snap, that tells you whether the give or the throw is live.
Use the flat route as your conflict defender key, if he crashes on the run fake, the flat throw is a guaranteed easy completion.
Run this on early downs like first and second and ten to keep defenses honest and force linebackers to respect both the run and the quick pass.
Pair this call with Double Slants or RPO Alert Screen from the same set so defenders who load the box to stop this RPO get burned by a hard play action or bubble concept later in the series.
If the defense shows a hard blitz look presnap, hot route the backside vertical into a quick hitch or bail out to the flat immediately since the run blocking won't hold up.
