Comcast Presents: How not to play red zone offense

by Jonathan Loesche on Dec 1, 2009 12:23 PM EST in Meta-Jacksonville Jaguars

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This post is brought to you by Comcast and the new NFL Red Zone channel. Catch every touchdown from every game, only on NFL Red Zone.

Quick Note: Sorry for nothing new on Monday. I was about 1/2 way through an article on the offensive line before I decided it was a dead horse and I should leave it alone.

Four red zone possessions, three points.

Four red zone possessions, three points.

This is the baffling statistic that has been going though my mind since Sunday. By sheer dumb luck, four possessions should net any NFL team 9 points. But no, the Jaguar saved their best red zone performance of the season for when it mattered most.

On the year now the Jaguars have scored 16 touchdowns, 9 field goals, and have a mindblowing 11 negative red zone possessions. Just chew on that for a minute, in 36 possessions this season, the Jaguars have only scored on 25 of them. Almost one in every three possessions in the red zone results in no points for the Jaguars.

I'm done trying to assign blame as it's been a collaborative effort, with missed FGs, fumbles, interceptions, there is plenty to go around.

So then, how do we attempt to fix the issue?

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36 trips to the Red Zone could net a high of 252 points

The Jaguars captured 139 of the possible 252 points, or 55% of the entitlement.

When they played New England in the playoffs and had to settle for a field goal in the Red Zone they began to fall behind. Miss an opportunity in the playoffs, lose the game. That is what life at the top looks like.

We have a ways to go, but I still love this team.

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by Tkopa on Dec 1, 2009 1:06 PM EST reply actions

I just wanna see the offense

Just 1 game play 100% left NO points in the field; and play well. If I could them at one game….

Life without knowledge is death in disguise

by Zoltan from Budapest on Dec 1, 2009 5:55 PM EST up reply actions

A few random thoughts in response to the question ...

1. More creative play calling. Maurice up the middle from obvious run formation at 2nd and 1 and then again at 3rd and two, putting us in 4th and 3, makes no sense to me. Go four wide and run him off tackle. Use the tight ends more effectively. Throw out a formation the defense hasn’t seen, force them to call a time out and then hit them with something else. AVOID THE OBVIOUS. If you know a blitz is coming run a trap play or short screen.

2. David leading the league in fumbles is concerning; that many of them come in the red zone is alarming. He is so strong he thinks he can muscle his way out of a sack and it gets him in trouble. He has to learn when to go down, when to get rid of the ball, and to this point those lessons aren’t sinking in. And if our O line is being dominated you can’t put him in that situation in the red zone with a deep drop. Nothing wrong with 3 steps and a slant pass.

3. I don’t know what to say about Scobee … that was a bizarre performance. I thought the first miss was a poor snap throwing off the timing, but the second was all him. Kickers have bad days and struggle for consistency, and remind me of golfers (Scobee’s a very good one) in their neverending quest for timing, rhythm and muscle memory. He’ll be OK.

by ruffdaddy on Dec 1, 2009 6:27 PM EST reply actions

#1

…The playcalling was stupendous, and we moved the ball well. Suppose we threw the ball on 2nd and 1 and didn’t get it, then people ask why we didn’t run it with the best player we have. Keep in mind we only have 1 blocking TE to be running “off tackle”. I like most people think we should be able to get one yard with 2 runs with MJD.
2. Garrard is excellent with slant passes. Our offense personnel is really made for that anymore, but that started getting Garrard picked off because the field started shrinking on our offense in years past. I think he needs to just find a happy medium. People wanted Big Ben, and fumbles come with Big Ben-like play. Ben fumbled the ball 14 times last season and 9 the year before that. Our fanbase needs to be less critical of Garrard, and notice our biggest problem is our lack of pass rush.
3. I agree

by Ewdtrey on Dec 1, 2009 8:46 PM EST up reply actions

Dirk Can't Win

When he runs it twice in a row people bitch, had he thrown it there people would’ve bitched. Guy can’t get a break.

If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik

by Bestjagfan on Dec 1, 2009 8:50 PM EST up reply actions

It bothers me that

our QB has so few passing tds. These WR’s are good so what gives?

by JagSoldier on Dec 1, 2009 6:32 PM EST reply actions

Well

I think Garrard would have more if given the opportunity. How many times have we even seen Garrard attempt a pass within 10 yds of the endzone? Usually we go to the go to guy, MJD and it works. It’s the range between 10 and 20 yds where we struggle. And it’s not like we don’t get some yardage there. We just don’t seem to convert well there. We probably average near 5yds a rush in between the 20’s, but once we get in the redzone things tighten up and 4-5 yds turns into 3-4 yds and its hard to judge when things are or aren’t going to break your way.

by Ewdtrey on Dec 1, 2009 8:29 PM EST up reply actions

My Questions

Garrard:
1. Why won’t he get outside the pocket? I didn’t get to watch the game b/c I was in gridlock on 95 all day but in all of his highlights, (including all the sacks) he never threw on the run or rolled out either by design or to avoid pressure. He either stood still or stepped up straight into pressure. I’ve always thought he was incapable of rolling to the left but now he won’t leave the pocket at all except when he’s running it himself. Throwing on the move used to be one of his strengths, not sure why we never see it anymore.
2. Sell the PA fake! When I watch Drew Brees, Tom Brady, or Matt Schaub run a PA fake they make me believe it. When we run PA, Garrard barely even pulls the ball out before dropping back. To me, that’s more conscious effort than skill. MJD is a dangerous back, the PA fake should be deadly for us.

In terms of play calling
1. What ever happened to the innovative Mike Thomas plays? SF seemed to be blitzing LB’s a lot from the inside so it seems like they would be vulnerable to the end around. I’m not saying they should be a major part of our offense but if we pull it off even just once we force them to respect it the rest of the game.

2. The delay draw? It was our go-to play on 3rd downs in 07. Where did it go? SF linemen were overly aggressive in the pass rush, they would have been vulnerable to the draw.

by rusty904 on Dec 1, 2009 7:01 PM EST reply actions

My Answers

1. Garrard is a pocket passer that can run, not run and throw accurately. And yesterday, a lot of the rush came from the outside anyhow. It also cuts the field in half.
2. That’s something that should be worked on. But it’s not the reason we lost. Receivers we getting open and Garrard was hitting them. The OL just missed assignments, or they sent more than we could block.

Playcalling:
1. They actually used Mike Thomas ingeniously and it worked. Didn’t try end-arounds and it really wasn’t need, as the offense really moved the ball at will when not making mistakes.
2. We did use the delay draw, especially when we started passing a lot. And it worked. In fact it’s where MJD got lot of his production; but like I said, we moved the ball well yesterday.

by Ewdtrey on Dec 1, 2009 8:38 PM EST up reply actions

I Was Bout to rip you bro

But Ewd said everything I would have said, in much nicer words that is :).

If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik

by Bestjagfan on Dec 1, 2009 8:55 PM EST up reply actions

Disclaimer! I didn't see or hear the game!

Like I said I was caught in gridlock on I-95 all day Sunday and Sirius decided for some reason to run every late game except ours.
My comments are based on a look at the play by play and the highlight videos so be merciful! I just commented on what I saw. Let me explain my comments a bit further,

NFL.com showed video of four out of the six sacks. I don’t remember exactly but I think at least 2 were b/c no one bumped over to the blitzing LB or CB on the outside so they came unblocked. The other 2 were our O-Linemen just getting manhandled on a bull rush. I think Uche and Eugene were the culprits. If Garrard had escaped any of those it would have been a damn good play and is not something I expect on a regular basis from any QB however, he needs to go down with the ball in his hands.

As for throwing outside the pocket, I just noticed in his highlights that all of his successful passes (with the exception of that great little shuttle pass to MJD) he was standing still in the pocket, not that that’s a bad thing as long as he has time. It just seems to me, at least in that game, that Garrard has lost some of his ability to extend plays through the air by scrambling outside the pocket. It’s probably just pleasant nostalgia but I seem to remember that Garrard threw on the run proficiently in his former years.

As for the PA fake, that was just a general observation not particularly applicable to this game but something that I think is pretty important yet solvable problem and since we have such a great running back it’s essential to our cause.

Regarding the end-around, I don’t think it should be an offensive staple, but we should maybe pull it out once or twice a game. It’s just something else they’d have to respect and prepare for. It may not be successful all the time but when it works, it helps clear up the center of the field for MJD.

by rusty904 on Dec 1, 2009 10:36 PM EST up reply actions

I definitely agree with the end around approach

It was so successful early in the season that I’m at a loss for why it was abandoned. At the very least it’ll open up the between-the-tackle running for MJD, if only a little. I can’t remember a single time when that play was run and Thomas was tackled for a gain of 4 or less.

by Adam Stites on Dec 1, 2009 10:40 PM EST up reply actions

Part of the reason

they haven’t been running it is because the DE’s/OLB’s in those games were staying home. Not running it in those situations is why Thomas hasn’t been caught for a loss. Calling for that play last week would have been just a desperate call, something that gets bad/mediocre teams in trouble.

by Ewdtrey on Dec 2, 2009 2:48 AM EST up reply actions

+1

For an offensive coordinator to call a play, he has to see something he likes before hand, especially in the running game. If its not there Dirk isn’t going to run it

If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik

by Bestjagfan on Dec 2, 2009 8:01 PM EST up reply actions

Okay this discussion of end arounds has got me interested!

Here are the stats:
We saw it first against Houston where it was a big success 3 for 36yds

Next week against the Tits 3 for 9yds
Couldn’t use it against Seattle b/c MSW was out
Offense didn’t need it against the Rams
Tits again 1 for 7
Kc 1 for 18
Nada against the Jets
Buffalo 1 for 12
Total 9 plays 82yds 9.1 ypc Worst result -1 yd best 22yds

I suppose we didn’t see it against STL b/c offensive production wasn’t really a problem but why not throw it in the mix? In every game (with the exception of one) it has been successful and more often than not MJD started to improve slightly after it. I know the play doesn’t necessarily make or break a game, but it usually doesn’t hurt. It’s all about finding ways to get the ball in the hands of your play makers. The risk is minimal but the reward can be pretty good.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not arguing against you or Drik Koetter, if I was better at play calling than them I’d be an O.C. I’m just curious as to what he saw or didn’t see during or before the SF that would convince him not to attempt the end-around.

by rusty904 on Dec 3, 2009 1:37 AM EST up reply actions