Playbooks

RPO Q Stick Draw

Shotgun·Trey Open·11
DrawRPOStickStick ConceptRun PlayPass Play

Quick Reference

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Breakdown

RPO Q Stick Draw is a run pass option out of Shotgun Trey Open that pairs an inside HB draw with a Stick concept to the trey side, giving the quarterback a true run or pass decision based on second level defender behavior. The Stick concept (flat, slant, and hitch combo) gives quick answers against both man and zone coverage, while the draw exploits aggressive linebackers who crash downhill on the pass read. The primary progression is pre snap alignment then post snap linebacker flow: if the second level defenders sit or flow to the Stick routes, pull the ball and hand it off on the draw, if they stay home in the box, throw the quick flat or slant read before the pocket collapses.

Defensive Reads

Watch the middle linebacker or nickel defender pre snap, if they are cheating downhill in run support the Stick concept behind them will be wide open for the slant or hitch. Identify single high versus two high safety shells before the snap, single high tends to leave the flat and stick window vulnerable while two high can rob the deep slant but softens the draw lane. Post snap, key any user controlled defender flashing down to spy the draw, that is your cue to pull it back and go straight to the Stick reads instead of forcing the run. Zone blitzes with a linebacker dropping into the stick window can bait quarterbacks into a bad read, so recognize disguised zone drops by watching if the defensive line shows an overload front but linebackers still sink into passing lanes. Man coverage with inside leverage on the slant will struggle against this concept, but press man teams that jam the stick route at the line can disrupt the timing and force an early draw decision that defenders are already flowing to stop.

Usage Tips

Use this on second and short or third and short when defenses expect either a quick pass or a conservative run, since the RPO nature punishes both instincts equally.

Check the linebacker depth pre snap: if they are sitting shallow anticipating the Stick concept, favor the draw hand off because the interior lanes will be softer.

Hot route the flat route to a shallow drag or spot route against teams that jump the flat with a linebacker, this keeps the man beater intact while adding a zone beater layer.

Pair this call with Stick and RPO Alert Draw Stick in the same drive to condition the defense into flowing hard, then hit them with Air Raid Stick or Y Stick HB Angle for an explosive play once they overcommit to the draw fake.

Avoid calling this against heavy blitz packages with a spy or a defender sitting in the RPO throw window, since the read gets muddied and the draw lane disappears if the defensive line stunts inside.

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