Bears analyst expects that we will see the Bears using this concept a whole lot more this season!
Bears writer Jacob Infante reported that when Justin Fields was at QB last year, only 2.96% of the Bears passing attempts were RPOs.
He was efficient on RPOs at OSU, and his speed adds a wrinkle to them that most other QBs don't have. Luke Getsy's Packers ran RPOs at a heavy rate - expect to see much more this year.
For those of you not aware, RPO in football stands for Run Pass Option. The run-pass option gives the Quarterback the option to hand the ball to the running back or pass the football to a receiver. The offensive line blocks as if it's run play, which stresses the defense to play the run or the pass.
It essentially looks like a run play. The line blocks run, the running back anticipates the handoff, and the Quarterback can give it.
The pass option is built-in, typically on the front side.
The Quarterback will put the ball in the stomach of the running back. As he's doing so, he'll either read a linebacker or safety to determine if he should pull the ball and throw it.
If the linebacker/safety move toward the running back's direction, the Quarterback will throw the football.
On the flip side, if the backside linebacker/safety doesn't move, it is assumed the offense has numbers in the box and has a better matchup to run the football.
It can be a very productive way to move the chains during a football game, especially when you have an athletic quarterback who can move around the pocket like Justin Fields.
