For as good as the Raiders were on offense last season, they had their fair share of struggles in the red zone. Far too often, this team settled for short field goals rather than scoring touchdowns. So how can they fix this issue in 2021? Left guard Richie Incognito has some ideas.
In a recent media availability, Incognito spoke about their red-zone troubles and offered a suggestion. He would like to see more of Marcus Mariota inside of the 20 as he could use his legs to play more 11-on-11 football. Here is the full quote from Incognito via Vic Tafur of The Athletic:
“We still have that mentality, but I just think we just have to get smarter. Mix it up a little bit more. Not just bang our heads against the wall. I think we have the guys up front … to use our athleticism more. Block down, pull around, get some creative looks, get some quarterback-driven runs — maybe get Marcus (Mariota) in the game.”
While this sounds good in theory, taking Derek Carr off the field for a lesser passer isn’t a great idea. Sure, the Raiders could experiment with a few plays with Mariota on the field near the goal line, but making him the full-time red-zone quarterback isn’t a realistic option.
But Incognito is right that they need to be smarter in the red zone. Too often, they wasted plays on low-efficiency throws and ran too much when they were outside the five-yard line. They need to find a way to be more effective and efficient in this area while also scheming up more looks for someone like Darren Waller.
If the Raiders can find a way to improve in the red zone, they could easily be a top-five offense in the league. Keep an eye on their red zone offense during the preseason and into the regular season as any improvement will be a sight for sore eyes.
[vertical-gallery id=82242]
[lawrence-newsletter]