Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
RPO Dive Alert Smoke is a true run pass option out of Singleback Wing Pair that pairs a downhill HB dive with a smoke route alert to the perimeter. The quarterback reads the alert defender (typically the slot corner or overhang linebacker) at the snap: if that defender sits inside or crashes toward the run fit, the smoke throw is live for an easy pitch and catch, and if he stays wide to cover the smoke, the dive hits the interior gap behind zone or gap blocking up front. This is a zone beater and man beater hybrid since the smoke naturally attacks off man leverage while the dive exploits light boxes versus zone shells, with the primary read progression being alert defender first, then handoff read second.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify the slot corner or overhang defender assigned to the smoke route, since his depth and leverage tell the quarterback which side of the RPO is live Watch for Cover 3 sky or Cover 4 shells with soft corners playing off, since these light up the smoke throw immediately after the snap Look for stacked boxes with linebackers crowding the line of scrimmage pre-snap, which signals the quarterback should pull and throw rather than hand off into a losing gap Post-snap, track any user controlled defender flashing toward the mesh point or jumping the smoke route, since a disciplined user can take away both options if he reads the RPO quickly This play struggles against aggressive man press with a blitz behind it, since the corner can jump the smoke route while extra rushers collapse the pocket before the read develops
Usage Tips
Check the alert defender pre-snap and identify whether he is aligned to take away the smoke or sitting in the box before you even snap the ball
Use this on early downs like first and second and ten when defenses often play base zone looks with light boxes, since that softens the dive read
If the defense shows Cover 3 or Cover 4 with the corner bailing deep, expect the smoke to be wide open unless a robber or nickel defender is sitting underneath
Pair this play with HB Dive and 26 Duo in the same set so the defense has to respect the interior run fits before you go back to the RPO look
Hot route the backside receiver on a quick out or slant if you see man coverage to give yourself a second answer beyond the smoke and dive read
Avoid calling this against heavy blitz packages since the extra rusher can disrupt the mesh point before the quarterback can properly read the alert defender
