Doug Flutie Breaks Down Origins of Raiders' Chip Kelly's Offense

The read option and the RPO or run-pass option were two offensive concepts Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly used as offensive coordinator and eventually head coach at the University of Oregon to take the Ducks to new found heights.

Developing it at the University of New Hampshire, Kelly has used the concept to various levels of success at New Hampshire, Oregon, UCLA, Ohio State, with the Philadelphia Eagles and somewhat with the San Francisco 49ers.

One of the original inventors of the RPO, Doug Flutie, spoke to Julian Edelman on it's creation in the Canadian Football League.

Flutie broke down the concept's origins in Canada and how Kelly came to learn about the offense.

"Because in Canada, we didn't have reins on us. I say, hey, what do you want to run, Julian? Oh, give me, just give me an option route, I'll crush him. It's like, all the RPO stuff that started with Damon Allen."

Damon Allen, a Canadian Football League Hall of Famer and 23 year CFL veteran, is the brother of Raiders' legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen.

Doug Flutie explains how he invented the RPO.@Edelman11 @DougFlutie @CFL pic.twitter.com/FVfCTvYe3W
— Games with Names (@gameswithnames) July 10, 2024

"We ran all our run game at a gun and Damon was eyeing that backside end and pulling the ball and running naked off it if he closed down. I'm like, hey, I can do that. Then I did it and I, you know, get five, seven yards in the corner, someone would come off, on the slot, whatever, make the tackle. I'm like, screw that."

"You run a fade, and you run an out. If he comes off. I'm throwing you the ball. And we started doing this stuff. Chip Kelly came up to Toronto and watched all our film, and was asking questions about this, that and the other thing. And then he goes to UNH and just starts lighting it up. He turned it into zone read, and then he went to Oregon, and it all became the zone read stuff."

While it’s effectiveness in Kelly’s system faded in the NFL, that was more due to Kelly’s personnel instead of scheme.

These concepts require four elements, elements the Raiders have. A mobile quarterback that can fit passes in windows, a running back with lightning speed, a tight end that can run a route tree, and receivers who understand coverage and leverage.

If Ashton Jeanty is what his film promises him to become, Kelly may have one of the best offenses in football.

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