Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
RPO Read Bubble out of Shotgun Trio Offset Wk pairs an inside zone run look with a bubble screen read to the offset trio side. The diagram shows the outside receiver stalk blocking while the inside slot bubbles out behind him, giving the quarterback a pre-determined key on the alley defender or nearest flowing linebacker. This is a true run-pass option: if the read defender crashes down on the zone run, the QB pulls and fires the bubble, and if that defender sits or widens, the QB hands off into the zone scheme up front.
Defensive Reads
Watch the slot defender or overhang linebacker at the snap, if he attacks downhill into the run fit that is your green light to peel off and jump the bubble route. Cover 3 and Cover 1 with aggressive linebacker run fits are the most vulnerable shells since the flat defender responsible for the bubble often gets sucked into run support. Two high safety shells like Cover 2 or Cover 4 with disciplined slot defenders who stay home on the bubble force you to trust the run blocking up front. User controlled defenders who sit at depth on the bubble receiver and refuse to bite on the run fake will bait you into a difficult throw window, so have a run fallback plan. Look for nano blitz packages or overload fronts on the play side since a fast edge or blitzing linebacker can disrupt the mesh point before the read even develops.
Usage Tips
Identify the alley defender or slot corner pre-snap since that is your read key for the entire play.
Use this against teams that load the box versus 11 personnel because the bubble punishes aggressive run fits.
Pair this with Inside Zone and Outside Zone earlier in a drive so the defense starts keying run fits, then hit them with this RPO to make them pay for crashing down.
On third and short or second and manageable, this is a low risk call since you always have the numbers advantage on one side of the play.
If the defense shows a two high shell with soft corners, lean run since the bubble throw lane will be crowded by an extra flat defender.
