Using RPOs to Build an Attacking, Efficient Offense

RPOs are a great way to manipulate defensive box counts into the offense’s favor and place individual defenders in conflict. Even the most disciplined, intelligent defensive players are forced into making tough decisions against a well-executed RPO.

In this instructional coaching video, Coach Chris Merritt puts forth a terrific game plan for offensive problem solving and using an opposing defense’s own leverage against them in live-game situations.

Maximizing RPOs

Using a progression of offensive practice drills and examples taken from game footage, Coach Merritt demonstrates different types of RPOs for using a defense’s leverage against them and uses game and practice footage. In this footage Merritt highlights Bryant’s practice “mesh drill”, their RPOs at different levels of a defense, and their pre-snap access “gifts”. 

Merritt provides in-depth commentary with the game footage and stats to show how Bryant’s offense has become more efficient and explosive with an RPO game, and, more importantly, gives you the answers on how your offense can replicate this success.

Drills to Enhance RPOs and Implementation Strategies

Throughout the course of this essential lesson in offensive efficiency and maximizing RPOs, Coach Merritt focuses on his favorite drill to improve RPO execution – ‘The Mesh Drill.’

Coach Merritt details how ‘The Mesh Drill can be repped everyday in practice to teach your QBs how to read certain defender keys (which is crucial for an effective RPO game). The drill also helps your QBs and RBs with the crucial ‘RPO exchange,’ which, if run effectively, results in less fumbles and more confident QB reads.

Coach Merritt shows game footage of Bryant’s RPOs against various defensive looks. In this footage explanation, the Bryant head coach walks you through why his offensive coach has built each RPO to have success against each defense and what the read keys are for the QB in each example play he shows.

In addition, Coach Merritt shares key RPO concepts (on whiteboard), as well as showing the critical keys for RPO success against live defenses.

Coach Merritt gives you everything you need to know to build a dynamic RPO offense that can help solve unfavorable defensive box counts. 

The coach also shows various RPO tags that work to get the ball into your most explosive players hands in space. Coach Merritt, does a great job of identifying a problem that faces many offenses, and offers practical, effective solutions to that problem.

This is a must-see video to improve your team’s offensive execution!

Customer Review: 5 out of 5 Stars. ‘ Coach Merritt did a great job of showing how RPOs can help take advantage of defensive looks, while still giving your offense the ability to gain explosive plays!’

71 minutes, 2023.