Bobhaze
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Scoring TDs in the red zone is a critical success component of teams who win. Last year, the Cowboys scored a TD only 48% of the time it was in the red zone. That was 29th in the league in 2018. The league average for red zone TD scoring in 2018 was about 62%. Even after the Cooper trade, our offense finished 22nd in scoring last year.
That MUST improve if we are going to compete for a championship.
What’s even more amazing is even with the best RB in football, and the best running NFL QB in the red zone (yes Dak haters, the last 3 yrs Dak has been the best red zone running QB- even better than Cam Newton) the Cowboys have not been good in the red zone since 2016. And its even more startling when you consider, we finished 32nd- dead last in the league- in scoring TDs from a first and goal situation.
Here’s some interesting notes about WHAT was happening in the red zone and why most problems are mostly on Scott Linehan and Garrett:
That MUST improve if we are going to compete for a championship.
What’s even more amazing is even with the best RB in football, and the best running NFL QB in the red zone (yes Dak haters, the last 3 yrs Dak has been the best red zone running QB- even better than Cam Newton) the Cowboys have not been good in the red zone since 2016. And its even more startling when you consider, we finished 32nd- dead last in the league- in scoring TDs from a first and goal situation.
Here’s some interesting notes about WHAT was happening in the red zone and why most problems are mostly on Scott Linehan and Garrett:
- On first, second or third and goal situations inside the ten last year, Zeke had 11 carries for 5 yards.
- Dak averages 4.4 yards a carry inside the ten. That’s the best avg per carry of any player who ran the ball last yr inside the ten yl and yet, Linehan rarely called his number.
- Pass plays inside the ten were run mostly from Jumbo TE packages, and the best route runners were on the sideline.
- Spread out. Occasionally run a 5 Wide empty backfield using Zeke as a wide out which forces the defense to respect that you have passing options, or run a 4 WR set with Zeke in back field. Again forcing the defense to have multiple things to worry about. Dak was deadly as a runner from the empty back set.
- Just a side note on the empty backfield sets- Dak has scored 5 TDs and 3 two point conversions from this set. It’s almost unstoppable for defenses yet Linehan almost never used it in the red zone.
- Stop always going into the “Jumbo” TE package, which makes it easier for defenses to stop the run game inside the ten because they can sell out against the run and have very little area to cover receivers.
- The best offenses in the NFL last year- Rams, Chiefs, Saints, etc, ran spread formations more than half the time inside the ten.