In the NFL, games are won and lost in the red zone. If you can convert red-zone trips into touchdowns and stop opponents from crossing the end line, the numbers say you will win a lot of games.
For example, of the top-11 teams in offensive red zone efficiency last season, eight made the playoffs. The three teams that didn’t reach the playoffs won an average of 7.7 games and the Rams (No. 6 in red-zone efficiency) finished the season with nine wins.
With that being said, the Raiders have to improve on their red zone success in order to take the next step. Luckily, their quarterback isn’t an issue when the team gets inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. According to Pro Football Focus, Carr has the second-best adjusted completion percentage (78 percent) in the NFL in the red zone.
Best red-zone adjusted completion rate since 2018 (min. 70+ dropbacks):
◽ Drew Brees – 80%
◽ Derek Carr – 78%
◽ Cam Newton – 78%
◽ Patrick Mahomes – 77% pic.twitter.com/mQY2UgMg8V— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) July 2, 2020
Carr is incredibly accurate inside the 20-yard line despite the passing windows getting significantly smaller. And unfortunately for him, he hasn’t had a legit red-zone weapon over the past two seasons to help make him even more efficient.
The Raiders are hoping that the additions of players like Bryan Edwards and Jason Witten can help improve their red-zone woes. But make no mistake about it, their struggles haven’t been due to the fault of Carr. He’s done just about as much as he could given the talent around him over the past two seasons.
If the Raiders can reach the top-10 or 12 in red-zone efficiency this season, their offense should be able to make quite a leap in points per game. Should that happen, the Raiders will be contending for a playoff spot come the end of the season.
[vertical-gallery id=70021]
[lawrence-newsletter]