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Quick Reference
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Breakdown
RPO Peek Slant is a run pass option out of Shotgun Trey Y-Flex Str that pairs an inside handoff look with a three man slant package to the trips side. The three receivers stacked to the left all run quick slants at the same depth while the running back releases underneath into the flat, giving the quarterback a instant peek read before deciding whether to hand off or pull and throw. This is a zone beater at its core, since the horizontal slant stretch punishes zone defenders who sit and read, and the primary read progression is quarterback peeks the slant window first, then works to the flat route if the window is late developing, with the run staying alive as the built in checkdown.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth before the snap, since linebackers sitting shallow in underneath zones will jump the slant window and take away the quick throw. Identify the flat defender post snap, because if he widens with the running back release, the slant lane behind him opens up for an easy completion. Man coverage with inside leverage on the slant receivers is the biggest threat to this concept, since a defender playing inside shade can undercut the route before the ball arrives. A crashing safety or blitzing linebacker off the edge signals the defense is selling out against the run, which means the quarterback should pull and throw the slant without hesitation. Cover 3 with a hard sink from the underneath defenders shuts down the slant window quickly, so recognizing that shell pre snap should push you toward the run side of the option instead.
Usage Tips
Pre snap, check for two high safeties sitting deep since that alignment tells you the box is light and the run element of the RPO should be your first instinct.
If the defense shows single high or crashes the safety down before the snap, key the peek slant window immediately and let the quarterback throw off the run action instead of handing the ball off.
Hot route the outside slant receiver into a fade against man coverage if you see a cornerback playing tight press, since the slant window closes fast against physical man defenders.
Use this play on early downs in run heavy personnel counts to keep the defense honest, then sequence into RPO Zone Peek or RPO Zone Peek Pop later in the series once the defense starts sending extra defenders into the box.
Pair this with Inside Zone or HB Draw from the same set so the defense cannot key run fits off formation tendency alone.
