Throwing bubble screens and smoke routes to uncovered receivers isn’t anything new, teams have been doing that for decades at this point.
Today’s email is taken directly from our latest release: The Veer and Shoot – Unlocking the Most Explosive Offense in History
The “Walk” RPO
While Smoke may be the most common RPO tag in the Veer-and-Shoot, Walk certainly gives it a run for its money. In this concept, the innermost slot receiver takes two vertical steps, plants off the second, and backpedals toward the sideline. Yes, a literal backpedal. This not only gives the Quarterback a larger target to throw to, but it also gives the receiver options on where to take the ball.
On a standard speed out that many offenses will use a “relief” for their run game, the slot receiver plants his inside foot and turns his shoulders toward the sideline while looking back to the Quarterback for the ball. Once the receiver catches the ball, however, his momentum takes him toward the sideline as he’s running full speed off his cut.
More often than not, that slot is going to sustain that trajectory and likely get out of bounds on a decent gain. With this backpedal technique on Walk, the slot can take the ball anywhere once he catches the ball; he’s not restricted based on his momentum taking him out of bounds. After he catches the ball, he can square up to the end zone and run wherever he sees daylight.
Any receivers outside of the innermost slot are lead blockers for the RPO. The #1 receiver will always have the Corner in front of him, working for outside leverage on a reach. If there’s another slot in a three-receiver set, he’s looking for the most dangerous defender inside of the Corner. It may be a roll-down Safety, a Nickel, or an apex Linebacker walked out of the core.
Whoever it may be, he’s also attempting to reach him. If there is not an immediate threat for the slot receiver to block, he can double-team the Corner until someone shows up in the fit.
How does the Quarterback know when to throw an “uncovered”? Learn this and more with our newest release: The Veer and Shoot: Unlocking the Most Explosive Offense in History
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