Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
RPO Read Screen out of Shotgun Spread Y-Slot lines up with two receivers stacked left running a bubble/screen combo underneath while the inside receiver sits at the top of the route to block, and a single receiver to the right runs a quick out that doubles as the pass key for the quarterback to read. The offensive line stays in to protect while the running back is the true screen option, giving this play a run/pass conflict for the read defender over the slot. This is an RPO built to attack light boxes and beat man coverage on the perimeter, with the primary read being the alley or slot defender: if he crashes down on the run fit, the quarterback pulls and throws the screen behind him, and if he sits wide, the run hits inside.
Defensive Reads
Watch the slot cornerback or nickel defender at the snap, if he sits flat footed reading run he is likely getting pulled to the alley and can be baited into a bad screen jump. Sim pressures and nano blitzes off the edge can beat this play because the quarterback's mesh point read gets rushed before the screen can develop. Man coverage on the outside receiver leaves the screen blocker isolated, so a user controlled defender sitting on the screen side can jump the read and blow it up before it starts. Zone shells with a hard flowing linebacker to the play side crash the run fit quickly, which is exactly the conflict this RPO wants, so disciplined zone drops that stay home actually shut down both options. Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells with squatty corners on the perimeter route take away the conversion hot route, forcing the quarterback back into a low value give on the ground.
Usage Tips
Check the box count before the snap and only pull the screen if you see six or fewer defenders in the box, otherwise trust the inside run fit.
Identify the alley defender or slot corner pre-snap since he is the true conflict player this RPO is designed to manipulate.
Use the right side out route as a hot route conversion to a hitch or slant if you are getting a hard corner blitz off the edge, since that receiver is otherwise uninvolved in the primary screen read.
Pair this call with Bubble Screens or Fk Bubble HB Draw earlier in a series so the defense keys run action and box discipline, then hit this RPO to catch overaggressive linebackers flowing wrong.
Best used on early downs in run/pass ambiguous situations (1st and 10 or 2nd and short) where defenses are more likely to sell out on the run look and leave the screen soft.
