Tag: red zone

Chiefs TE Jared Wiley ‘confident’ in his ability to produce in red zone

#Chiefs tight end Jared Wiley says he’s confident in his ability to produce for Kansas City in the red zone.

The Kansas City Chiefs are reinforcing their tight end room with a promising offensive weapon in fourth-round draft pick Jared Wiley. The former TCU standout is potentially the missing piece in solving the Chiefs’ issues in the red zone, especially when Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce is not available.

Wiley spoke with reporters via Zoom shortly after he was drafted and didn’t take long to share his thoughts on his role in the offense.

“Yeah, I’m really confident in myself, especially in the red zone. I felt like that was a spot this past year where I really made my money, so to speak,” said Wiley. “I try to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself, especially down there in the red zone. I’m excited for an opportunity like that and I’m definitely going to make the most of it.”

The Chiefs signed Irv Smith Jr. at the start of free agency after the departure of Jody Fortson to the Miami Dolphins. Noah Gray is currently slotted as the second tight end, but head coach Andy Reid often features many different sets, as Wiley has witnessed from afar over the years.

“I would say that if you ask anybody and they say that they don’t watch the Chiefs, I would say that they’re lying to you,” Wiley explained. “You know they’re a super explosive offense. They’re really fun to watch, a big play offense, and like I said earlier (they have) the best quarterback in the NFL (Patrick Mahomes), some of the best receivers in the NFL, the best tight end in the NFL (Travis Kelce). Just watching their offense and how they operate and how they move, it’s so exciting to watch week in and week out, and I’m really excited to be able to get to be a part of that.”

The defending champions, who have struggled at various points throughout the season, will welcome an increase in red zone production. Wiley had eight touchdowns in his last season at TCU, so he knows how to get into the endzone.

Derek Carr had the perfect response to Mardi Gras float call-out

Derek Carr had the perfect response to a satirical call-out from the Knights of Chaos Mardi Gras parade, joining the laughter and pointing to his much-needed improvement:

Shouts out to Derek Carr for taking it on the chin: the New Orleans Saints quarterback was the subject of satire at the Knights of Chaos Mardi Gras parade during Carnival season, which featured a float depicting a reanimated Carr as a “Red Zone Zombie” to big reactions from the crowd.

“Can’t lie,” Carr wrote in response on social media, “this depicts exactly what I felt like the first half of the season so I understand.”

That’s exactly how Carr needed to approach this situation — joining the laughter, sharing with some self-deprecation, and pointing to the work he put in to improve. His arrival to New Orleans last year was a tough sell. With a big contract restructure in the works keeping him in town for at least the next two years, it’s vital that he win over the fanbase and build those connections with the community.

And Carr is right to point out that his struggles in the red zone were an early-season problem. The Saints doubled their practice reps in that phase and he ended the year as one of the league’s best quarterbacks in scoring position. Through their first 11 games, Carr went 21-of-47 (44.7%) inside the 20-yard line and scored 8 touchdown passes with an interception, posting a quarterback rating of 84. The Saints offense ended just 15 of their 40 drives with touchdowns (37.5%).

In their final six games Carr went 14-of-21 (66.7%) and threw 9 touchdown passes without turning the ball over, posting a passer rating at 114.1. The Saints scored 15 touchdowns on just 20 drives inside the red zone (75.0%). How’s that for a “Red Zone Zombie?” After seeing that reversal of fortune, Carr’s teammate Demario Davis called him the hottest red zone quarterback in the league.

It’s critical that Carr and the Saints carry that success over into 2024. With a new play caller and new coaching staff on the way, they can’t afford to start slow and make big changes at midseason again in the fall. If Carr can do that and continue doing a better job connecting with fans and teammates, maybe the city will warm up to him after all.

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Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes explains importance of red zone execution

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes expounded on the importance of red zone execution during comments to reporters this week.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive struggle with red zone efficiency extended into the Wild Card round of the AFC playoffs in their matchup against the Miami Dolphins last week.

The Chiefs scored only two touchdowns and were forced to settle for four field goals in the red zone in the blistering cold at Arrowhead Stadium last Saturday.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes spoke with the media on Wednesday, explaining the importance of finishing off drives with touchdowns ahead of Kansas City’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round.

“I think it’s execution. I always say it, but in the red zone everything gets so much more detailed, and you have to execute at a higher level,” Mahomes explained. “Obviously, we were close, but we didn’t get in there. So, when we’re playing a game like this, we’ve got to find a way to turn those field goals into touchdowns in order to win. I’m glad with how we’re moving the football, but let’s find a way to punch them into the endzone at the end of drives.”

The Chiefs have been reliant on their defense to hold opposing offenses to minimal gains, but against the Bills, Kansas City must take advantage of every red zone opportunity it wants to reach a sixth consecutive AFC title game.

Packers offense must improve in red zone to finish 2023

The Packers have scored TDs on just 4 of their last 10 red zone trips. They must be better inside the 20-yard line to finish the season, starting Sunday in Carolina.

The Green Bay Packers’ offense has had opportunities to put points on the board the last two games but struggled to do so in the red zone.

The Packers finished 2-for-5 scoring touchdowns inside the 20-yard line during each of the last two games, both losses.

“You’ve always got to look critically at yourself,” said coach Matt LaFleur on Wednesday. “Are you putting the players in the best position possible? And if the answer is no, then you better come up with some different stuff. There’s been a little of that and then there’s been some lack of execution. That’s football. These guys get paid too on the other side. That’s been a point of emphasis.”

With how the last two games ended for the Packers, the defense is understandably garnering a lot of the attention. However, missed opportunities by the Green Bay offense in the red zone contributed to these losses as well.

Against the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Packers had scoring chances, with a total of 10 red zone visits, including five in each game. For some context, the Dallas Cowboys lead the NFL with 4.2 red zone trips per game. Unfortunately, on 10 visits, Green Bay left with only four touchdowns–two in each contest.

“There’s a lot of things that play into it,” said Jordan Love on Wednesday. “I think just giving guys a shot in the end zone and going to make a play is the biggest thing we can focus on. I still think we are a really good team and once we get down to the red zone we do a really good job. We have done a really good job and obviously last week wasn’t good enough. I think we will bounce back this week and be able to put up more points down there.”

Of course, when the Packers were on their three-game winning streak, they were much more efficient in the red zone. When up against the Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions, and Kansas City Chiefs, the Packers converted 7-of-10 red zone opportunities into touchdowns. However, those types of performances have actually been the outlier for the team this season. Overall, Green Bay’s touchdown rate inside the 20-yard line sits at 50 percent, which ranks 22nd.

As Love mentioned, there isn’t one specific reason as to why they’ve struggled in this part of the field. In the early to middle portion of the year, you can point to the offense’s overall inconsistencies and inability to get out of its own way.

The Buccaneers have been one of the best red zone defenses in football, allowing a touchdown at the fourth-lowest rate entering Week 15.

Previously, LaFleur has discussed how red zone success starts with having a run game to lean on. Although it’s improved in the second half of the season, whether it be due to injuries or inconsistency, the Green Bay run game hasn’t been overly dominant by any means either.

In general, it’s also more difficult to move the ball in the red zone, especially through the air. With this being a condensed part of the field, there is simply less space to operate within with more defenders in a confined area.

The theme among LaFleur, Love, or Elgton Jenkins when asked about Green Bay’s red zone woes all goes back to execution and better responding to what the defense is throwing at them.

“Just the execution of assignment,” said Jenkins. It’s the O-Line not making a block. The receivers not making a block or not making a catch. The quarterback not making the read or whatever. It’s really just the details and getting in there and wanting it more, for sure. I feel like when you get in that area, people anchor down a little bit more. Send more pressure, a little more disguise, and we’ve got to be able to communicate and get the job done.”

This week against Carolina will provide the Green Bay red zone offense with the opportunity to get back on track. The Panthers enter Week 16 allowing a red zone touchdown on 71 percent of their opponents’ visits–the highest rate in football.

The Packers have experienced an immense amount of growth on offense since Week 9. Love ranks eighth in yards per pass attempt during that span. However, even with that being the case, they’ve eclipsed the 24-point mark on offense just once during that seven-game stretch. Taking that next step as a unit comes once they can be more consistent and effective within the red zone.

“Get down there, that’s when you’ve got to be at your best,” added LaFleur. “Whether it’s in the red zone, whether it’s on third down, fourth down. You have to be at your best in the most critical moments. I don’t think it’s for a lack of effort, a lack of focus. But we obviously haven’t performed the best we can, and I’m talking everybody, from myself down to the players.”

Jimmy Graham’s role within the Saints offense should grow outside the red zone

Jimmy Graham has 3 touchdowns on 4 catches. His efficiency in the red zone begs the question: how effective could Graham be outside the 20?

Often times in life, when one question is answered another one arises. New Orleans Saints fans have often asked the question “Will the Saints use Jimmy Graham in the red zone?” all season when the fan-favorite pass-catcher was idling on the bench as a healthy scratch while their offense was failing to end drives with touchdowns.

And over the past two weeks, Graham has been successful enough inside the 20-yard line to create a new question: “Why isn’t he used more often?” Graham played a lot of snaps early in the season when Juwan Johnson was injured (including a staggering 42 of them against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4) but he was asked to work as a run blocker (73 snaps), not a pass catcher (61 snaps), more often than not.

Graham’s success rate in his specialty role as a red zone scoring threat is ridiculous. On the season, he has 4 catches for 3 touchdowns and an additional first down.

Why not expand the role? Graham could be used not just as a red zone specialist but as a weapon on third downs, too. No one should expect him to turn back the clock a decade, but he’s shown enough in a limited capacity to draw more targets. That expansion could help a struggling passing attack that finds itself low on weapons.

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Packers must find answers for Bucs’ stingy red zone defense

The Bucs are one of the NFL’s best at defending the red zone. Can the Packers crack the code inside the 20 on Sunday?

A difficult red zone matchup for the Green Bay Packers against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense could be a determining factor in Sunday’s game at Lambeau Field.

Opponents have found success moving the ball on the Bucs, particularly through the air. Tampa will enter Sunday’s game allowing 7.2 yards per pass attempt, the fourth-most in football. As a result, opposing offenses are making their way to the red zone against Tampa 3.3 times per contest, the ninth-highest average in football.

However, once there, this Bucs’ defense has been one of the best at keeping teams out of the end zone. Led by a stout run defense and two rangy linebackers, Tampa Bay is allowing a touchdown on only 41.8 percent of their opponents’ red zone visits, good for fourth-best this season.

“They’re a physical defense,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich on Thursday, “and their linebackers have really good range. (Lavonte) David and (Devin) White are excellent players. So their front, they set the edge, they are big and physical inside, and their DBs are really physical on the edge. It kind of just caps everything in there, and those linebackers can really cover ground and make plays.

“They have some really talented players, and their scheme is tough. They do a lot of double coverage and things like that when they are playing coverage. So it’s going to be a challenge for us.”

Compared to the rest of the NFL, the Packers have been a below-average offense in the red zone. The good news is that they give themselves opportunities with 3.6 red zone attempts per game, but they convert those scoring chances into touchdowns just over 51 percent of the time and rank in the bottom third of the NFL.

At the end of the day, red zone efficiency was the difference in what ended up being a loss to the Giants, with Green Bay going just 2-for-5 in the red area and New York 3-for-4.

“Ultimately, we’ve got to do a better job,” said Matt LaFleur on Thursday. “Everybody, making sure especially when we get into the red area. Tampa is one of the best in this league at it and we’re going to have to execute and have a better plan for Tampa.”

As LaFleur has discussed previously, a key component to red zone success begins with the run game. In part, this is due to being in an already condensed part of the field, which makes moving the ball through the air more difficult with there being less space.

Green Bay’s run game has been improved over the last month-plus compared to where it was through the first half of the season, but it is still far from dominant. Not to mention that there is some uncertainty at running back currently as AJ Dillon deals with a broken thumb and Aaron Jones works his way back from an MCL sprain. Even if both were to play, neither may be on a full workload.

The Tampa defense has been one of the better units against the run this season, allowing only 3.9 yards per attempt. Not only in the red zone, but in general in this game, the burden may have to fall on the Green Bay passing game to move the ball, and as Stenavich mentioned, the Bucs do a great job, specifically in the red zone, of funneling everything to the middle, where their dynamic linebacker duo of Lavonte David and Devin White can make plays.

“It’s hard to run the ball on them down there,” added Stenavich. “So again, it’s another challenge that’s something we have to overcome to make sure we can score some touchdowns, for sure.”

Saints Twitter does not react kindly to Derek Carr dodging questions

New Orleans Saints fans on Twitter and across social media did not react kindly to Derek Carr dodging questions about his poor performance:

The New Orleans Saints have had a ton of issues in the redzone and it is starting to take its toll on both team and fan morale.

A recent media availability session saw Derek Carr respond with a non-answer to NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill when pressed about his struggles in the red zone:

“I don’t know, man. Gotta ask coach Pete (Carmichael) and (Dennis Allen),” Carr deflected. “When you ask us we’re not gonna be able to give you all the answers that everyone wants to hear on the things we’re trying to work to do better. Schematics and player and all those kinds of things. And so, you’re gonna keep asking the same question I’m gonna keep giving a lot of words and no answer, you know, because I’m not gonna tell you.”

Carr has not thrown a touchdown pass in the past two games, totaling 10 of them in his first 11 games in New Orleans. Fans online are unhappy about his performance and now his attitude with the media, voicing their displeasure with Carr’s answer from across social media:

Saints dedicating more time at practice to fixing red zone woes

After going 0-5 inside the 20-yard line in Week 12, the Saints say they will dedicate more practice time specifically to finding success in the red zone:

Dennis Allen said the New Orleans Saints will place an extra emphasis on red zone efficiency in practice this week. Instead of just focusing on red zone work on Friday, the Saints will work in that area on Thursday as well.

This move is coming off the heels of the Saints’ worst performance inside the 20-yard line this year. All 15 of their points in Week 12’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons came from Blake Grupe’s leg for the second time this season.

New Orleans drove inside the 20 yard line five times on Sunday, but the end result was three field goals and two turnovers, including an untimely Derek Carr pick-six. Ending drives with touchdowns in the red zone has been an issue all year and Week 12’s game was the best, or worst, example of it.

Little pride should be taken in the ability to move up and down the field if there are no touchdowns scored at the end of those possessions. Dedicating extra practice time to this issue is long overdue. Hopefully it makes a difference starting with Week 13’s home game against the Detroit Lions.

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Dennis Allen won’t blame Saints’ red zone problems on Derek Carr

Dennis Allen won’t blame the New Orleans Saints’ red zone problems on Derek Carr. It’s a bad look when he doesn’t hesitate to criticize other players:

This isn’t a good look for Dennis Allen. The New Orleans Saints head coach was asked Wednesday about the team’s red zone struggles, and how much blame his handpicked quarterback Derek Carr deserves for them.

“We’re not really in the business of blame game. We’re in the business of production,” Allen told NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. When asked what Carr can do to improve in that phase, Allen responded, “To try to single him out is not the right way to go.”

But Carr is one of the worst quarterbacks in the league this season when the offense gets inside the opposing 20-yard line. 18 quarterbacks have attempted 40 or more passes in the red zone this season, and out of that group Carr ranks 17th in completion percentage (44.7%) and 18th in touchdown passes (8). He’s struggling where other players are thriving.

Even players on his own team: Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill are a combined 5-of-6 in the red zone with 3 touchdown passes. Obviously that’s a dramatically smaller sample size (and teams guard those quarterbacks differently from Carr), but it highlights his unique struggles. It’s not something Allen should be deflecting from. His handpicked quarterback is underperforming. There may be other factors at play like Pete Carmichael’s play calling and dropped passes by his receivers, but Carr is the common denominator. He’s paid more than anyone else on the team because he’s responsible for more of their failures or success than anyone else.

And what’s concerning is Allen’s willingness to call out other players this season — like Chris Olave. The second-year wide receiver was blamed by Allen for incorrectly running his route on an incomplete pass back in Week 7, saying that, “Chris didn’t run that route the way that it needs to be run. That’s what happened and we ended up having a throw-away there.”

Except that’s not what happened. Michael Thomas pointed out publicly online that Olave wasn’t part of the progression on the play, which was designed for him to clear out space for Taysom Hill. When the throw to Hill wasn’t there, Carr should have switched to Rashid Shaheed or Thomas himself, who were next in the progression. Carr threw the ball away instead and went after his teammate after the play, and Allen endorsed him for it.

It’s easy to understand why Allen is giving Carr special treatment: his future with the team is tied to Carr’s performance, and he badly needs the quarterback to thrive after convincing the front office to overpay Carr so steeply. A failure for Carr is a direct reflection on Allen. Carr is here because Allen believed he was an upgrade over Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton and the other quarterbacks the Saints have tried to lean on in life after Drew Brees, but at this point there isn’t an appreciable difference between Carr’s execution of the offense and what we’ve seen from guys like Trevor Siemian — except that Allen is making excuses for him every week.

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Packers able to move ball but red zone woes doom offense vs. Steelers

The Packers finished 1-for-5 scoring touchdowns in the red zone during a 4-point loss to the Steelers.

The Green Bay Packers’ continued red zone struggles ended up being the key difference in their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Unlike in other losses that the Packers have experienced this season, the offense moved the ball relatively well throughout the course of the game, including an opening possession score and averaging 6.1 yards per play overall, which would be third-highest rate over the course of the season. However, that first drive was Green Bay’s lone red zone touchdown of the day. Despite making five trips inside the Steelers 20-yard line, the Packers left with only one touchdown.

“We kicked too many field goals,” said Matt LaFleur after the game. “When you get into a position to score touchdowns, you’ve got to convert. I’ve got to go back and look at the tape and see why we got stopped, but those are missed opportunities in my mind.”

The Steelers entered Sunday’s game allowing 5.5 yards per play to opponents, which ranked 26th in the NFL. But where they have buckled down and truly flexed their muscles has been in the red zone as the Packers saw. Coming into Week 10, behind an aggressive front seven, Pittsburgh was allowing a touchdown on just 45.6 percent of their opponents’ red zone visits, good for the eighth-best rate this season.

Two of those failed red zone attempts by Green Bay came in an all too familiar situation at the end of the game where a touchdown would have given them the lead. Instead, like those previous opportunities, both drives ended with interceptions by Love.

The first came on a pass attempt to Christian Watson that Love should have gone elsewhere with, given how well Patrick Peterson had the play defended. LaFleur said that considering how Pittsburgh defended the play, going to Watson in that situation was not the intent of the play call and going backside with the throw would have been the correct decision.

“We ran a double-move on the outside,” said Love postgame. “We ran that route earlier, and they jumped it. So we ran the double-move. I thought I was able to get Christian over the top and was trying to put the ball where only he could get it, and the DB was able to make a good play, get a hand on it and tip it up.”

“It might have been short with him to get a hand on it. It was a terrific play by him. I wish I would have put it a little more out there where only Christian could get it and make a play on it. Kudos to him. He made a great play.”

The other failed red zone opportunity at the end of the game came with just three seconds left. As LaFleur described, the Steelers put multiple defenders at the goal line, Green Bay ran a corner route with the hope that one defender would follow that pass catcher. However, the Steelers remained disciplined and it led to an easy interception as Love tried to get the ball to the in-breaking route that was well covered.

The Packers entered this game ranked 17th in red zone success rate – right around league average – although their overall figure is bolstered by some early season success. Ironically, when the overall play from the offense has improved recently, they’ve been abysmal in the red zone. In the last three games, they are averaging an impressive 4.3 red zone trips per game, but have converted only three of their 13 total attempts into six points.

Operating in this part of the field is inherently more difficult, in large part because there is simply less space to work within. With things more congested, it makes running the ball more difficult and makes it more challenging for pass catchers to create separation. The margin for error for an offense that already is very inconsistent is much smaller in the red zone and mistakes – which there are a lot of – are magnified.

“It just comes down to making plays,” said Love about the Packers red zone issues.” The defense, they stepped up. They did a good job. Stopped us, not letting us in there. I think it just comes down to making plays. I wish looking back, maybe I would have scrambled a little bit more at the end in those situations and just tried to extend plays a little bit more. I think they had a pretty good plan in the red zone and they’ve been a pretty good team in the red zone.”

There is the butterfly effect to take into account, but given how the game ended, coming up with on additional touchdown could have been the difference in a win and a loss for the Packers. Finding a way to score on even three of their five red zone trips could have led to a comfortable victory.

We frequently hear this Packers team talk about how close they are. To a degree, sure, what else are they supposed to say at 3-6? With that said, when they have made 13 red zone trips in three games, you can also see why they think that as well.

There is still a lot of things to clean up for this offense, although it does feel like some progress was still made on Sunday. But regardless of that part of the equation, it’s another loss where Green Bay had the opportunity to win. Until they button things up in the red zone and become more efficient in that part of the field, winning won’t come easy.

“It’s very frustrating,” said Love. “Like I said, we’ve been in this situation a lot of times and have not found a way to win it. It is frustrating but we’ve just got to find a way. Dig deeper. But it comes down to so many plays in the game, throughout the course of the game, that if we can execute better and take advantage of some of those situations, I don’t think we would put ourselves in this position at the end of the game. But we definitely got to find a way.”