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Quick Reference
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Breakdown
RPO Zone Alert Smoke is a true run pass option built off inside zone action from the Shotgun Trey Open HB Str set. The quarterback reads the alert defender, typically a flat defender or overhang linebacker, and either hands the ball off on the zone scheme or pulls it to fire the smoke route to the boundary receiver. This is a zone beater against light box counts and off man coverage on the perimeter, with the primary progression being run first, then a snap read on the alert man to trigger the smoke throw.
Defensive Reads
Watch for a light box with the alert defender squatting outside, this signals the smoke throw is there immediately. If the defense shows two high safeties with the corner playing off the smoke receiver, expect the zone run to have more room since the alert defender must respect the pass first. Man coverage with the corner pressed on the smoke receiver is a tougher matchup for the RPO, since the quick throw loses its space advantage. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they crash hard downhill on run action, the smoke route behind them becomes the easy answer. User controlled defenders sitting in a lurk technique near the flat can jump the smoke route, so read their leverage before pulling the trigger and be ready to hand it off instead.
Usage Tips
Check the box count before the snap, if there are six or fewer defenders in the box, lean toward keeping the ball on the ground and let the smoke be your answer if a defender crashes down late.
Identify the alert defender pre snap, usually the corner or slot defender over the smoke receiver, and use hot routes sparingly since the RPO logic already reads him for you.
This play shines on early downs (1st and 10 or 2nd and short) when defenses are still diagnosing run versus pass, punishing aggressive run fits with the quick perimeter throw.
Pair this call with RPO Zone Peek Bubble or RPO Peek Slant earlier in a drive to condition the defense to bite on run action, then come back to Zone Alert Smoke to hit the smoke route for easy yardage.
Against user controlled defenders who spy the run aggressively, trust the pre snap alert key and be ready to throw off the snap instead of holding the ball for the zone fake.
