There are plenty of ways for an NFL offense to use run-pass options, but the Jacksonville Jaguars relied on a very specific approach in 2025.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jacksonville had the highest run-heavy RPO offense in the NFL, at 93.20%, a figure that stands out even more considering that PFF noted RPOs are overall declining. It accounted for just 7.95% of offensive plays in 2025, its lowest mark since 2019.
As PFF noted, RPOs rarely generate explosive gains and are more often used to create routine, efficient plays. In many cases, that means a slight numbers advantage in the box for a running back or a quick throw designed to stay ahead of the chains rather than produce a huge play. Jacksonville’s 93.2% handoff rate suggests the Jaguars often preferred the first option.
Overall, the Jaguars’ RPO package appears to have served primarily as a run-game tool. The pass option still mattered because it forced defenders to respect quick throws attached to those concepts, but the handoff rate suggests Coen used RPOs less to hunt explosive plays and more to create cleaner, efficient rushing looks.
That approach would fit the broader offensive identity Coen appears to be building in Jacksonville, having repeatedly emphasized toughness and physicality alongside efficiency and execution this offseason. A run-heavy RPO package fits neatly into that philosophy. While RPOs are not inherently a physical concept, a run-heavy package helps the Jaguars stay committed to the ground game while creating cleaner, more efficient rushing looks.
The Jaguars, then, were not necessarily using RPOs to be flashy, but pragmatically. If the defense gave them a favorable run look, Jacksonville was going to take it.
However, such a high percentage still brings up an inevitable question: at what point does a run-heavy RPO package become too predictable? If the overwhelming majority of those plays end in handoffs, defenses may begin to treat Jacksonville’s RPO looks more like run alerts than true run-pass conflicts.
It also raises the question of whether or not the Jaguars will continue in the same vein in 2026, now that Travis Etienne is gone. If Coen continues to use RPOs primarily as a run-game tool, the new-look backfield, consisting of Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez, and LeQuint Allen, could benefit from the same philosophy that helped shape Jacksonville’s offensive identity last season.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: What Jaguars’ run-heavy RPO usage says about Liam Coen’s offense
Reporting by Casandra Chesser, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Casandra Chesser, Jaguars Wire | USA TODAY Network
