IdaGriz01
Well-known member
I last played intramural football in high school and community college. And that was back in the Dark Ages. So I guess I qualify as “never played the game” by some people’s reckoning. Sure, I can’t pretend to sort out all the nuances of modern offenses and defenses. But, you know, it’s not rocket science (which I actually know something about). Simply reading and listening to football people gives you a pretty good grasp of the overall schemes, their intent and how they are supposed to be executed.
The big thing today, even down to high school, is the “RPO." Here’s an explanation from a Google AI composite:
“An RPO, or Run-Pass Option, is a football play where the quarterback has the real-time option to either hand the ball off to a running back or throw it to a receiver based on how the defense reacts after the snap. The offense starts the play as if it's a run, with the offensive line and running back following their run-blocking assignments. However, the quarterback is reading a specific defender and can decide to pull the ball back and pass instead, creating a mismatch for the defense.” [My emphasis above.]
That explanation is slightly lacking in this day of dual-threat quarterbacks … he has the third option (now often used) of keeping the ball himself. That’s why teams love to have a really good dual-threat QB … skilled at reading defenses and capable of exploiting what he sees.
Listen to any broadcast expert (played/coached the game) and you’ll hear him say how the defense tries to mask their coverage to confuse the RPO quarterback.
The lesson from this: Do not be so quick to blame the coach (offensive coordinator) for a “really dumb” play call. We heard this a lot about the end of the UNC – Sac State game. Well, again I’m no expert, but from the highlights I’d say that the play “call” at the end was a fairly standard RPO. The QB saw, or thought he saw, an opening for a quick pass. Had it worked, we’d have all been ecstatic and said, “What a great play call.”
The big thing today, even down to high school, is the “RPO." Here’s an explanation from a Google AI composite:
“An RPO, or Run-Pass Option, is a football play where the quarterback has the real-time option to either hand the ball off to a running back or throw it to a receiver based on how the defense reacts after the snap. The offense starts the play as if it's a run, with the offensive line and running back following their run-blocking assignments. However, the quarterback is reading a specific defender and can decide to pull the ball back and pass instead, creating a mismatch for the defense.” [My emphasis above.]
That explanation is slightly lacking in this day of dual-threat quarterbacks … he has the third option (now often used) of keeping the ball himself. That’s why teams love to have a really good dual-threat QB … skilled at reading defenses and capable of exploiting what he sees.
Listen to any broadcast expert (played/coached the game) and you’ll hear him say how the defense tries to mask their coverage to confuse the RPO quarterback.
The lesson from this: Do not be so quick to blame the coach (offensive coordinator) for a “really dumb” play call. We heard this a lot about the end of the UNC – Sac State game. Well, again I’m no expert, but from the highlights I’d say that the play “call” at the end was a fairly standard RPO. The QB saw, or thought he saw, an opening for a quick pass. Had it worked, we’d have all been ecstatic and said, “What a great play call.”
