The run-pass option is certainly not a new concept in football, but it is a concept that is becoming more prominent in the NFL. That’s one of the things that offensive coordinator Matt Canada was theoretically supposed to bring to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense. And according to Pro Football Focus, he actually did.
In fact, along with the Miami Dolphins, no team in the NFL over the past six seasons threw more ‘downfield’ RPO passes in a season than the Steelers did in 2021. PFF is defining a downfield RPO pass as three or more yards beyond the line of scrimmage, because the majority of RPO passes occur within two yards of the line of scrimmage, often behind.