Not Sweating Red Zone Issues (Yet)
September 29th, 2018
Talks red zone.
The Bucs have both the best offense in the NFL and the best passing attack in the NFL. But the success rate of red zone plays lags behind.
The Bucs are currently at 54.55 percent success rate in the red zone, 18th-best in the NFL but nowhere close to how good the offense has been. And the one guy responsible for this, offensive coordinator Todd Monken, isn’t losing any sleep over it. Yet.
“[I’m] not,” Monken said this week. “The sample size is still small, so it’s frustrating, it’s disappointing. You’re not going to be perfect. If you are, we come out victorious no matter what the turnover situation was.
“It’s tough because some of the things we did down there were self-inflicted. We’re first-and-goal on the six [yard-line] we get an illegal shift, that puts you first-and-goal at the 11– not good. We miss a protection so we don’t slide, hits a defender in the helmet and the ball gets deflected and gets intercepted. Disappointing. Again, those aren’t excuses – we’ve got to do it better.
“There wasn’t really anything – looking back, sure, running the football probably helps that. I’ve got to do a better job of that. We’ve got to do a better job collectively. That’s a part of it and at the end there isn’t a call that came up that I want to take back or something – it’s the execution that we’ve got to do better and that’s the way it is. We’ve got good players – we’ve just got to do – better when we get down there.
“Now, part of that is if you get down there and try to score touchdowns, we’ve been explosive and that’s added to that without actually getting there. We’ve got to do better down there.”
Still, some perspective helps. Last year the Bucs were 24th. Two years ago the Bucs were 20th. In 2015 the Bucs were No. 22.
So the Bucs, currently, are clicking better in the red zone than at any other time with Dirk Koetter as either an offensive coordinator or head coach.
September 29th, 2018 at 12:11 am
Maybe throwing to Evans in the end zone would help
September 29th, 2018 at 12:38 am
Dan… +1 or keeping OJ80 on the field… But honestly, until the Bucs can figure out how to run the ball, the red zone will always be an issue. I do know ROJO, looked ok in this situation. When you choose the back, based on how well they pass block vs how well they run, this is what you get. Hopefully, the Bucs keep getting the explosive plays because without that, red zone scoring will continue to haunt them. This is a philosophy.
September 29th, 2018 at 12:42 am
Funny, …That’s exactly what broadcaster Joe Tessitore kept saying.
September 29th, 2018 at 1:05 am
2-1 acting like we are 10-1, best offense blah blah, seen this movie before and it ends badly, gonna ride the hot hand too long, Fitztragic is way more prevalent than Fitzmagic, get your blinders off these are the Bucs, horrible defense no running game, Fitz isn’t going to keep this up, that’s a guarantee
September 29th, 2018 at 1:38 am
Thanks Guzzie.
And now I’ll be crapping in your cereal bowl. Bon a petit.
September 29th, 2018 at 4:22 am
Guzzie man people act like we weren’t 2-1 last year only difference in last year’s team is Monken calling plays. Every bad thing about this team has stayed the same.
September 29th, 2018 at 5:36 am
It seems like every time…..not sometimes…..every time we get in the red zone we try on 1st down to run the ball up the middle…..and when we try to run outside we get TFL…….every time.
I would love to see our rushing stats YPC in the red zone……
We are second and long and that gives us only two passes to score a TD….and the D knows they will be passes.
So, Todd…..try 3 passes the next time you get there. Or tell Warhop to teach run-blocking.
September 29th, 2018 at 6:26 am
@TampabayBucFan
Ding! Ding! Ding!
“Or tell Warhop to teach run-blocking”. Not sure they can fix this by the Bears game ,
but it better be a point of emphasis during the bye.
In the meantime we might try adding an extra lineman and or Auclaire to opn up more holes in the running game. The extra swing tackle worked well in 2015 for us.
September 29th, 2018 at 6:43 am
Meanwhile as a backup, Doug Martin has 20 carries for a 4.4 ypc average. Not saying we should have kept him, just pointing out that our run blocking is still broken and no RBs can succeed at the moment. Most times when a team’s passing attack lights it up, the running game gets better because teams have to adjust to bring more into coverage and not crowd the line of scrimmage. Bucs running plays must be really obvious to defenses or something like that going on.
September 29th, 2018 at 6:50 am
daBears know they’re facing what will eventually be the best Offense in the league. Fitzster is banged up but Jameis isn’t, and he’s salivating to play with the boyz. Red zone scoring will pick up. I’m not sweating it. If 27 points is considered a ‘bad’ game for this O, what’s THAT tell you? I hope our arena league O scores 60 points tomorrow. Mack is 1 player, not 11. O explodes and our D will have the pressure taken off since it’s IR city right now. 3-1 tomorrow. C’mon Mighty Offense!!
September 29th, 2018 at 7:04 am
Listening to Ira’s last podcast I heard the Sage say C. Benneoch just was not a good player. Very prescient Mr. K. Nailed it.
September 29th, 2018 at 7:50 am
If Benonoch isn’t succeeding, Evan Smith should be next man up. Move Benonoch to swing tackle which might be closer to his natural position. Just my two cents.
September 29th, 2018 at 8:58 am
I have a great goal line play for Rojo but I can’t tell it ’cause the Bears are listening…
September 29th, 2018 at 9:19 am
Need a big back..or maybe a Fullback and an I formation.
September 29th, 2018 at 9:27 am
I’ve noticed quite a few teams using the jet sweep inside the 10. Makes sense since the offensive player is already in motion and the defense is standing still. Humphries or Wilson might be able to run it but I haven’t seen the Bucs even attempt it. Wonder if they even have it in the playbook?
#Get After It!
September 29th, 2018 at 9:33 am
With our olines inability to run block, who is responsible for this lack of a good run blocking team? When will this ax fall? I hear how great our online coaches resume is. Hmm yeah he was the browns online coach before he became ours, how well again did the browns do with him as online coach there? In his defense he has helped to produce 3 winning record seasons since 1996 yes that is correct three winning seasons as a NFL online coach. Where is all the hype come from about a “great” Oline coach. In 11 seasons only 3 winning seasons. Why again can’t we run the ball?
Go Bucs!
September 29th, 2018 at 9:34 am
Oline*
September 29th, 2018 at 10:14 am
Having read Warhop’s complete coaching history (and not the one shown at Bucs.com), I’m amazed that he’s even in the league. He was actually fired mid-season by the Niners!
September 29th, 2018 at 11:31 am
Dan it does. It’s also a crime to run a set of downs in the redzone and not even look at Evans.
And what’s the point of running the ball one time? Either have the balls to commit to the run(at least two trys). Or just pass every down. It’s not that complicated.
Monken sure did a good good calling the offense week 1-2 but we got a chance to see the bad Monken Monday.
September 29th, 2018 at 2:22 pm
I can tell you Monk May want to pay Whitten and Romo for a sit down because Whitten was not impressed at ALL with the Bucs red zone plays and formations !!!
September 29th, 2018 at 3:53 pm
Jim, I too have a great goal-line/ short-yardage play for my team. I would share it but, everyone reads JBF and I won’t just give it away!