Flat RPOs
Fixing the numbers problem and gaining leverage. How Clemson ran 4 flat RPOs against Florida State in 2023.
Getting the ball to a player into the flat after reading the defensive end is a play that’s been around, but in vogue in a lot of offenses. The play is curious because it’s triple option, but some teams don’t appear to be running it that way.
Instead, they read the defensive end for their run-pass decision. I’m not sure why. This post will look at four examples from Clemson’s 2023 matchup against Florida State. Issues will arise that could maybe be solved by adding the triple option mindset to the play. A potential solution is discussed at the end.
Number One
Though in 21 personnel, the offense has only allocated five blockers to the scheme. The TE is arcing to the overhang and one of the RBs is the pass option in the flat.
Against MOFO, that means the defense has six defenders in the run box with the weak safety fitting late as the seventh. The QB isn’t concerned with that — his read is the defensive end for the run/keep option. Then he has to feel the next flat defender to see if he should keep the ball or throw to the RB in the flat. Though what stands out is that the QB doesn’t seem to have any intention to run the ball.
This play is best thought of as triple option, in my opinion (which I laid out in full here). In short, the reasoning stands that the defensive end isn’t in a run-pass conflict, but rather a run-run conflict. So to be sound, the QB shouldn’t make his run-pass decision off that defender. Instead that read simply tells him to give or keep like the normal zone read play. Then his eyes need to get to the flat defender for his decision to run the ball himself or get it out into the flat.
Who knows what the Clemson QB is taught — the play works because the strong inside linebacker fits quickly, and the RB is open in the flat. The only defender not accounted in the blocking scheme makes the initial contact, and in a moment of irony, the initial read, the defensive end, finishes up the tackle.
Number Two
The issue presented above rears its head. Now the inside linebacker doesn’t fit quick and instead, gets out into the flat fast. Moreover, the defensive end doesn’t give an obvious read because of the run scheme (GT Counter). The defensive end comes right at the QB so the decision should be to give the ball to be safe. Regardless, you can see that the the read shouldn’t trigger a throw because the defensive end is not responsible for covering the route.
The TE is in the flat screen blocking scheme, so he can pickup that inside linebacker. However, he doesn’t have a good angle so the defender has good leverage on the route still.
Number Three
As opposed to the first play, this one includes the TE in the run blocking scheme. So that puts the inside linebacker as the “conflict defender.” The issue is that there is a defender following the player in motion going to the flat (the pass option). So is that inside linebacker in conflict or is this play simply solving a numbers problem? Anyway you want to look at it, the numbers issue is apparent.
Clemson solves the issue by trying to out-flank the defense with the WR in the flat, but the defense has good leverage — their mistake is a missed tackle.
Once again, the QB is not running out of the fake. So this play puts a lot of reliance on the motion to gain leverage on the flat defender. If the QB were to have run out of the fake, then he’d still have to be reading the same linebacker he read for the first read. So it’s an interesting predicament when you’re facing a MOFO structure because that defender can read the QB as he does here. When he sees the QB keep, he then pivots to react to that. And if the QB had run out of there, then he’d have been able to play the QB well too.
So this play is more of a glorified swing screen to the WR in motion. Maybe that’s how Clemson teaches it. But in terms of this play as an RPO, this play has some issues.
Number Four
This play is the exact same design as the first one. The QB’s read is the defensive end and gives him the keep read. What should be the second read, the inside linebacker, covers the RB into the flat pretty well though the RB does gain leverage. However, two factors make the play unsuccessful.
First, the overhang does a great job maintaining outside leverage to force the ball to cut upfield to give time for support.
Second, the inside linebacker is fast.
Result, no gain.
The Takeaway
These four plays demonstrate to me that the second read player, the inside linebackers in these examples, is an issue. The combination of his depth off the ball and the lack of speed in the development of this play makes it so that he can play both the run option and the pass option.
Clemson had a blocker go out to the overhang on these plays, but it seems that player is not the immediate threat. I wonder what would happen if the TE was responsible for the first man inside. Then the QB would be able to have more space to read the overhang for the decision to either throw the flat or keep the ball himself. That would require the QB to treat the play like triple option and get out of there after the fake.
Obviously, this thought exercise is changing the nature of the play Clemson is running. But it’s all in pursuit of a more sound offense.
Until tomorrow,
Emory Wilhite
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