How Nick Foles Can Be the Better RPO QB Fit for Bears

The RPO offense doesn't necessarily require a great running quarterback, but rather one who processes information rapidly and makes correct, accurate decisions

One of the great misnomers regarding the Bears quarterback competition is Mitchell Trubisky's supposed advantage as a more mobile quarterback in an offense based heavily on run-pass option.

The RPO quarterback has to be a mobile guy who can run zone-read and take off with the ball if it's the best option on a play, the thinking goes. Obviously Nick Foles isn't beating Trubisky in any foot races, although for a 6-foot-6 quarterback he can move pretty well if it's on a straight line without needing to dodge anyone.

Bears quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo seemed to offset all of this Trubisky advantage in the QB battle with a simple explanation of the zone-read in the RPO-style offense.

"I equate it to honestly Nick's skills on a basketball court," DeFilippo said. "Nick would be a tremendous point guard. He processes information fast, at a quick time. He's got tremendous hands.

"What I mean by hands is he has tremendous hand quickness, he processes information and processes what he sees at an unbelievable speed and I think all of those things equate to, people just equate zone-reads all the time to guys being that are 4.5 and 4.4 and that's not always the case."

DeFilippo took it to the conceptual stage to explain it.

"From a 30,000 foot level zone-read, what's the main reason why you're running a zone-read?" he said. "Well, one of them is so that you're not having to block all 11 guys. That's a major reason for a zone-read as well.

"So It's not just for the quarterback to run the football, it's so you don't have to block another defender. So I think when you have those skills that Nick has in terms of hands, processing, seeing the rep, all of those things it equates to being a good player in the zone-read game."

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