Post Bye week - How to fix Red zone offense

[Real fan 02]

I was watching JT O'Sullivan's breakdown of Maye and he said that pass the KW could have been earlier. KW Dusted that DB off LOS but we have seen Maye constantly put the Football only where only his guy can get it.

K. WILLIAMS has been dusting CBs all season.. the 2 big plays he made this season both resulting in TDs.. he's been IMO more impressive and shown more potential than anything Harry, polk,Baker have done combined when they were here..

 

[PatsFan2]

K. WILLIAMS has been dusting CBs all season.. the 2 big plays he made this season both resulting in TDs.. he's been IMO more impressive and shown more potential than anything Harry, polk,Baker have done combined when they were here..

I love what McDaniels is doing with KW: he uses Him on a lot on Clear-outs which opens up the Middle of the Field. You can tell KW is getting comfortable: he could be a weapon in the Postseason. He's always a threat to take it the distance. Just like T Henderson @ RB.

 

[JayNM]

I think we'll see much more of Drake's running come playoffs, that should help

 

[VrabelJr]

It’s really hard to consistently scheme guys open in the red zone, and we aren’t going to win by brute force due to deficiencies up front.

Our receivers need to win their 1on1s more often. It’s as simple as that.

 

[raduray]

We aren’t emptying the red zone playbook with 30-7 halftime leads.

But still, we should be able to pick up a yard running up the middle. And it's not only in the red zone; similar problem with third or fourth and short. My only thought is Tonga as FB, but other than that ... Maybe Wilson at center after he comes back and leave Brown at guard? Definitely something they'll have to address during the off season.

 

[mnpatfan]

It's on the OL to get nasty and push.

 

[Toofy]

Draft a run mauler as LG in top 2 rounds. How about this guy from the nittany lions

Olaivavega Ioane Offensive Guard Penn State | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Rating: 86.2 Rank: #9 Forty: 5.35 Ioane brings the kind of sturdy foundation that offensive line coaches dream about on draft night. His combination of mass, functional strength, and sur...

www.nfldraftbuzz.com

 

[Foxypats]

The biggest problem is that in the red zone we nearly always run on 1st down. I would like to see more play action or some end arounds or just need Josh to be more aggressive. He almost always calls conservative plays when they get down to 1st and goal at around the 5.

 

[Ring 6]

But still, we should be able to pick up a yard running up the middle. And it's not only in the red zone; similar problem with third or fourth and short. My only thought is Tonga as FB, but other than that ... Maybe Wilson at center after he comes back and leave Brown at guard? Definitely something they'll have to address during the off season.

Most teams struggle at that. We are actually above the league average.

 

[Real fan 02]

I love what McDaniels is doing with KW: he uses Him on a lot of Clear-outs which opens up the Middle of the Field. You can tell KW is getting comfortable: he could a weapon in the Postseason. He's always a threat to take it the distance. Just like T Henderson @ RB.

Yes!!! It's about getting better as the season goes along. After the bye week and post season run he definitely Will be a factor.. something special is brewing with this team... they are building something special i feel..

 

[Huckleberry1]

Lindenbaum is a starter not a practice squad player

No kidding? And to think that I wanted the Patriots to target a practice squad center in free agency? What a dummy I am.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I think you hit the nail on the head . I just feel maye does not trust his firing throws into tight windows which is what happens in red zone. You move out the pocket , find a open receive and laser it there.

We are doing drawed runs or over shoulder corner pass like the one that Boutte caught. Maye throws only when nobody is there next to receiver or it's single man to man coverage where he is confident the taller wr or te can out- muscle . If there is a slightest possibility for someone to slide or intercept in those tight windows , we are not even attempting those throws. Brady, mahomes burrow and Josh are masters of it . We just don't seem to have that in playbook. That seems a weakness to me.

You're crazy, Maye throws into tight windows all the time, what he's not completely comfortable doing yet is throwing those short quick hitters Brady used to throw to Welker and Edelman., but he has nonissue with throwing into tight coverage.

 

[Toofy]

You're crazy, Maye throws into tight windows all the time, what he's not completely comfortable doing yet is throwing those short quick hitters Brady used to throw to Welker and Edelman., but he has nonissue with throwing into tight coverage.

Thats the same thing I am saying, the short quick laser passes without arc in the end zone when the receivers are crossing routes or have stepped into a zone. .

Maye is able to throw against man coverage and when he knows where his receiver is leading him to. But not those quick passes when you get a small window of opportunity. I see dak Prescott , mahomes and Stafford masters of those passes currently.

 

[Ring 6]

No kidding? And to think that I wanted the Patriots to target a practice squad center in free agency? What a dummy I am.

Well the post you responded to said this.

Is it all on bradberry and Wilson then ? Any practice squad center worthy poaching ?

And you responded “yes, Tyler Lindenbaum” so don’t go acting like I was wrong to correct you.

 

[Ring 6]

I think you hit the nail on the head . I just feel maye does not trust his firing throws into tight windows which is what happens in red zone. You move out the pocket , find a open receive and laser it there.

We are doing drawed runs or over shoulder corner pass like the one that Boutte caught. Maye throws only when nobody is there next to receiver or it's single man to man coverage where he is confident the taller wr or te can out- muscle . If there is a slightest possibility for someone to slide or intercept in those tight windows , we are not even attempting those throws. Brady, mahomes burrow and Josh are masters of it . We just don't seem to have that in playbook. That seems a weakness to me.

Maye leads the NFL in completions into tight windows.

 

[slam]

Goal line plays from the Pats' library Josh might be saving for the playoffs:

• The direct snap to HB while the QB fakes a bad snap.
• 2 RB, 3TE. Line up condensed. Hunter Henry then moves wide, and if only a LB follows, it's one on one. (The Gronk special)
• The shovel pass stolen from Andy Reid's playbook
• The shield screen (Amendola 2pt conversion play from the Falcons' Super Bowl comeback)

Of course, there's the LB playing TE and getting loose on a play action crossing pattern, but are any of our LBs qualified for the Vrabel role?

 

[captain stone]

We will be fine.

Based on...?

 

[Ring 6]

Based on...?

Talent and coaching. Football is about identifying struggles and overcoming them.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Thats the same thing I am saying, the short quick laser passes without arc in the end zone when the receivers are crossing routes or have stepped into a zone. .

Maye is able to throw against man coverage and when he knows where his receiver is leading him to. But not those quick passes when you get a small window of opportunity. I see dak Prescott , mahomes and Stafford masters of those passes currently.

I think you are conflating " not able to" with " doesn't like to." If I'm not mistaken Maye has the best, or one of the best passing percentages throwing into tight windows in the NFL. But I agree that he's not throwing those quick hitting passes that Brady used Welker and Edelman for, but that really wasn't so much of a red zone weapon for Brady as it was for getting first downs in open field.

Listening to Vrabel discuss Maye and reads this week I was struck by how strict they are about Maye going through progressions exactly the way MacDaniels has them laid out. I thought he had more freedom to as lib when the first read wasn't open, but Vrabel was saying that he expects Nate to follow the progressions as they are drawn up. That, and the fact that they aren't using Chism leads me to believe that it's actually MacDaniels who isn't using this option in his game plans, and that's probably related to Maye not being comfortable yet with those plays, but I think that's something that he will work extensively on this coming offseason as he continues to develop.

 

[Toofy]

This week also the offense sputtered and if not for the running game , it might not have been as close as it was .

Looked at stats and saw that both diggs and Boutte have been relatively quiet the month of November and leading up to December sans the jets game .

Against better defenses or experienced coordinators we seem to balk.

I feel the red zone woes are more to do with the fact that they don't want maye to turnover thereby limiting tight windows throws as well as possible options.

What are we doing to help build yac in short yardage zone defenses outside of diggs. If diggs is blanketed we just don't seem to have an alternate game .

We have benefited from deep passes to hollins and few of break away runs of hendo . But we are not able to do the short passes to.move the chains . I strongly feel this is achilles heel of the offense. Even when they did the last drive against buffalo , maye is looking for deep passes as opposed to finding someone intermediate and getting those chunk yards. Either our receivers are not running those routes or maybe is not seeing them.

I think we need to seriously look into our red zone woes on both sides . If we want to go deep in playoffs , we need to get our act together .