Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
RNS Georgia out of Shotgun Trips Slots Close is a quick-hitting flood concept with an RPO element built in. The backside X runs a vertical go to hold the deep defender, the inside slot receiver runs a slant flat to the flat, and the trips side stacks a hitch underneath a go route for a three-level flood on that side. The primary read progression starts with the pre-snap RPO key on the box defender, then works to the flood side: hitch first, go behind it if the corner sits, and the slant flat as the underneath outlet against zone.
Defensive Reads
Check the corner's alignment on the trips side before the snap, since a soft corner shell signals the hitch route will be open immediately. Watch the flat defender and outside linebacker depth to see if they widen with the slant flat, which opens throwing lanes for the hitch and go behind them. Against man coverage, look for the cornerback trailing the go route deep, which tells you to work the underneath routes instead of forcing the vertical shot. Identify if the defense is selling out on the run fit at the mesh point, since that confirms the RPO read to throw rather than hand off. This concept struggles against a hard match zone or a robber shell that sits in the flood zone, since it clogs the hitch and slant flat windows simultaneously.
Usage Tips
Read the box count before the snap to decide if you are pulling the RPO handoff or throwing off the flood side. Against zone shells, target the hitch route first since it settles in the soft spot underneath the corner's zone drop. If the corner presses or sits on the hitch, hot route the go into a deeper stem or trust the go to win over the top on man coverage. Use the slant flat as your quick outlet on third and short or when facing pressure looks, since it clears out fast and beats blitz-happy defenses. Pair this play with RNS Georgia Mesh or RNS Hitches in the same set so the defense cannot key on the flood concept and has to respect both the quick game and the RPO run action.
