Are RPOs Necessary?
A time and place for everything.
If we accept the premise that RPOs are a tool to fix issue the numbers problem that exists when the defense has one more man in the run box than the offense can block, then we have to deal with the question of when do you need them and when do you not need them. Are they necessary on every play?
details how Georgia wants to play the run with as few people as possible in this post. As you watch the three plays in this post, you will see that play out as true. This allows the offense to not need RPOs to still be effective in the run game even though they still can’t block everyone in the run fit.Play 1
This play is a zone insert out of 11 personnel. As I belabored yesterday, this means the defense must defend seven gaps — whether they do that with seven defenders or find another way is their prerogative. Georgia is playing a quarters coverage (MOFO) so they are only allocating six defenders to the run box against this personnel and formation. They choose to fit with the weak safety:
So what is significant about this play? If the defense had played MOFC and presented seven men already in the box, then Alabama would be staring at a numbers disadvantage in the face. None of their WRs are running a route and the QB gives no indication he is reading anything. They have a called a run play and are running it with no options to get out of it (post-snap, at least). And as you can see, the man they can’t block makes the tackle. But it’s 2nd & 2 and the ball carrier gets the first down before contact.
So this play works because it’s a short yardage situation and the unblocked defender is coming from distance — in other words, the offense still has a numbers disadvantage but they have a space advantage.
Play 2
If the previous play was a simple run, then this one is fancy — still out of 11 personnel, still up against a MOFO defensive structure. Alabama, once again, forces the late fitter (the weak safety) to make the tackler. In other words, they block up the immediate six in the box with their six blockers. And one defender is unblocked and makes the tackle:
This play earns the fancy declaration because of how the motion pulls the defense along and almost dictates to the defense who will make the tackle (or the opportunity to make the tackle without being blocked). #33 for the Dawgs is playing out the box over the Tide’s slot receiver #6 before the motion. He gets pulled into the box by the motion and #23 for the Georgia gets pushed out.
Alabama is running a split-zone concept to the opposite side of the motion, so the pull and push is taking the Georgia players away from the frontside of the play. As a result the play bounces outside to the frontside to the only unblocked defender, #24 the weak safety.
So this play works because the motion pushes the linebackers backside and the unblocked defender is coming from distance — another example of a space advantage for the offense.
Play 3
Unlike the previous play, Alabama now motions the slot receiver to the same side as the play direction (still split zone) against a MOFC defensive structure. Against a MOFC structure, there are going to be seven defenders in the box — but with the motion, Georgia goes into a rotation:
Because Alabama is snapping the ball as the motion WR is crossing the formation, they don’t get the full effect of the rotation, so the new MOFC player doesn’t get to the middle of the field — or they have another call to the motion and he isn’t supposed to be there. Either way, at the snap he is in the same place the weak safety usually is in a MOFO structure.
The interesting thing here is that Alabama’s OL has declared the right overhang in their blocking scheme so the center and right guard end up comboing to him (#23). This leaves the weak inside linebacker #2 as the extra fitter — the seventh man in the box. Though he bounces outside for some reason, he fits back inside late and makes the tackle along with the weak safety #24. The result, a nine yard run.
So this play works because weak linebacker doesn’t play with good gap control, but also because the weak safety goes into rotation due to the motion — another example of a space advantage for the offense. If the OL had declared their point one man inside then the weak safety would’ve been the only unblocked defender.
What’s the Point
If you’re still with me, you might be asking “what’s the point?” RPOs are a tool to make sure the offense isn’t running into bad numbers in the run game. In 11 personnel, that is any seventh defender outside of the six defenders the offense has declared in their blocking scheme.
In all these examples, that seventh defender made the tackle — exactly as you’d expect. However, all the plays were efficient and successful. So there was no need for an RPO to fix the numbers problem because the defense was coming from distance (space advantage for the offense).
By using motion and being able to successfully block the six defenders their six blockers were assigned to, Alabama gained positive yards in the run game despite being unable to block the seventh defender. Conclusion — if you can block all six and get the ball carrier can get to the seventh beyond the line of scrimmage, you don’t always need an RPO to fix the numbers disadvantage because the offense has the space advantage.
Until tomorrow,
Emory Wilhite
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Because RPOs are cool!