Red Zone

[Phil J]

haven't seen the numbers to back it up, but I am positive we really stink within the 20. with such a high ranking offense, we should be racking up the TD's.

gotta correct that before next week. FG's aren't going to beat the Pats.

[TKnight24]

We seemed to do Fine last night. Well, Luck made that possible but still

[krunk]

FJC if you are there, can you give us our Red Zone numbers?

[Phil J]

just seems like other teams can casually wait for things to open up cause their oline really helps them out within the 20. Our oline seems to be giving Luck decent time everywhere else on the field (sometimes not, his moving around makes up for the pocket collapsing).

haven't seen many short toss up passes or other types of plays like that.

[betheafan41]

FJC if you are there, can you give us our Red Zone numbers?

IDK if this helps any but....

the Colts in the Red Zone:

avg 1.6 TD's out of 3.3 chances a game for an 46.67% scoring on the season in the red zone. but that is TD's only. i dont know if you want it with FG's or not. hope that makes sense lol

1.6 TD's (ranked 19th in NFL)

3.3 chances (ranked 13th in NFL)

46.67% scoring on season in red zone (ranked 22nd in NFL which is better then Chicago,Giants, and Seattle who are playoff teams)

[Old Colt]

We are going to have to increase the TD's in the red zone....we seem to bog down there a lot, and yet we still continue to win. when we convert more opportunities to TD's, we will pull away from more teams and relieve a lot of stress on us the fans.....too many nail biters....GO COLTS!

[YOUR GM]

Some of it is execution and some of it is play calling. The Jets game immediately sticks out in my head as a game we didn't score TD's in because players failing to execute. Other times, I feel Arians calls too many gamble plays with little success rate inside the 20. The wide receiver reverses from inside the 15 yard line drive me crazy when I see it.

[MSColtsFan]

IDK if this helps any but....

the Colts in the Red Zone:

avg 1.6 TD's out of 3.3 chances a game for an 46.67% scoring on the season in the red zone. but that is TD's only. i dont know if you want it with FG's or not. hope that makes sense lol

1.6 TD's (ranked 19th in NFL)

3.3 chances (ranked 13th in NFL)

46.67% scoring on season in red zone (ranked 22nd in NFL which is better then Chicago,Giants, and Seattle who are playoff teams)

I can't believe the overall numbers are apparently so hard to find, but I can't find stats which include FG's either. Anyway, AV is 6 for 6 from within 29 yards, but only 3 of 6 from 30-39. I would think that would leave the Colts in the mid 20 range in the NFL in red zone scoring, so not very good. I can't remember who said in another post the lack of TE production in the red zone (only 1 TD so far? Allen as I recall) may be one cause, and I agree with that. And the most obvious is better between the tackle running too. Take away Luck's 5 rushing TDs, and the Colts have 2, which would place them last in the NFL this season. I will say this though, and I agree they need to become more efficient in the red zone, but if that's the biggest area of concern on O, I'd take it and run. There could be far worse problems (we all did watch the Jags O last night, right?). Like never getting there enough to have stats to even worry about...

[FireJimCaldwell]

The 14/30 or 46.67% is an improvement over 2011 (16/38 42.11%) with the biggest difference being that there is almost the same # of attempts and an even closer # of scores from the previous year.

With that said it's a far cry from the league best 64% over the previous 5 years(2006-2010), or the league best 60% of the previous 11 years (99-10).

I haven't found the #'s for the team from 1998.

However I did see that Manning was 25/56 192 yds 17 td 2 int in the redzone and the team had 5 rushing redzone scores and 12 redzone field goals, but there was no mention of how many red zone attempts there were.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/football/sfn/sfn812rz.htm

[betheafan41]

I can't believe the overall numbers are apparently so hard to find, but I can't find stats which include FG's either. Anyway, AV is 6 for 6 from within 29 yards, but only 3 of 6 from 30-39. I would think that would leave the Colts in the mid 20 range in the NFL in red zone scoring, so not very good. I can't remember who said in another post the lack of TE production in the red zone (only 1 TD so far? Allen as I recall) may be one cause, and I agree with that. And the most obvious is better between the tackle running too. Take away Luck's 5 rushing TDs, and the Colts have 2, which would place them last in the NFL this season. I will say this though, and I agree they need to become more efficient in the red zone, but if that's the biggest area of concern on O, I'd take it and run. There could be far worse problems (we all did watch the Jags O last night, right?). Like never getting there enough to have stats to even worry about...

i def. agree with that. i was expecting both allen and fleener both to have atleast 3 or 4 TD's on 12st,2nd, or 3rd and goal plays. but they dont get it. i dont know if its because their just not getting open as i lose them in the play or the camera just doesnt show them or luck does not trust them enough to throw to them in coverage. but fleener i believe has 222 yards receiving and 0 TD's which is shocking considering how much Luck loved to throw to him at stanford.

[FireJimCaldwell]

Here are the #'s for this season and that includes last night.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/colts/redzone.htm

[House]

Taking our personnel into account is key to understanding our redzone troubles.

We have small, yet fast, receivers and one of the greatest route runners in the game. So when the field is shortened, in the redzone for instance, it is harder to throw the ball because separation isn't easy to come by. That's why Allen has looked good in the redzone because he is a big target, and mismatch in goalline/redzone coverages.

When our line is more secure and we can take more advantage of Fleener and Allen, I see them being huge endzone targets for Luck.

As of now, we struggle. However, lets not pretend we can't score at all. Luck has shown he is dangerous in the redzone with his legs, and Reggie will always be more than most defenders can handle.

[Superman]

This is something that you can expect with a young offense and a young quarterback. But if we're going to squeeze four more wins out of our remaining schedule, we'll have to do a better job in the red zone. More touchdowns, fewer turnovers.

[Nobody]

We need to use Fleener near the end zone.

[Surge89]

I think we should run it more out of spread. Apart from last night when we would get to the red zone we would either abandon the run completely or throw in extra lineman and advertise to the world we are about to run. The playcalling needs to be better there. Running the ball makes options happen for your tight ends on the next 2 downs. One linebacker hesitates and its td!

[#12]

Some of it is execution and some of it is play calling. The Jets game immediately sticks out in my head as a game we didn't score TD's in because players failing to execute. Other times, I feel Arians calls too many gamble plays with little success rate inside the 20. The wide receiver reverses from inside the 15 yard line drive me crazy when I see it.

It's not just the red zone, they have to be smarter in scoring position, in the opposition's territory. They're routinely self-destructing and having drives stalled in the opponent's territory. They're not converting TDs and are wasting FG opportunities. In general, they're not maximizing their scoring opportunities. The play call on Luck's INT drove me crazy. With any sort of a safe call in that position, you go into the half up 20-0 and get the ball to start the second half. Who wouldn't take that on the road? Instead, you run three slow developing routes with Luck throwing the ball 25 yards through the air.

[weslo1812]

Were also comitting dpme penaltied that are killing drives. The stupid penaltiez have to stop!

[Superman]

You know, one thing we should do is stop using empty sets on third down. Especially on moderate to-go situations. And especially in the red zone.

[GoColts8818]

We need to use Fleener near the end zone.

He has to get healthy first but once he does I do think you are starting to see them use the tightends more around the endzone.

[Brooklyn Colt]

We need to use Fleener near the end zone.

exactly..dude is about 6'6..throw the ball up to the heavans and let him go get it..

[Indyfan4life]

It also seems we turn the ball over a lot towards the end zone. I think we've had 2-3 fumbles at our end zone. We need to start throwing it away if nothing is open, a quick dump off, or Luck needs to at least get a yard or two rushing to help Vinny IMO.

[YOUR GM]

You know, one thing we should do is stop using empty sets on third down. Especially on moderate to-go situations. And especially in the red zone.

Yeah, good luck with that. Arians is obsessed with the empty set. The thing that drives me crazy about it is, he'll call an empty set with Ballard or Brown out wide. If you're going to have backs on the field, why not start them out in the backfield and have them motion to an empty set as opposed to showing your hand right off the bat?

[Superman]

Yeah, good luck with that. Arians is obsessed with the empty set. The thing that drives me crazy about it is, he'll call an empty set with Ballard or Brown out wide. If you're going to have backs on the field, why not start them out in the backfield and have them motion to an empty set as opposed to showing your hand right off the bat?

I don't mind empty backfield. I just don't like it on third down. Especially in the red zone.

And I agree, it would make sense to motion the backis either in or out if you're going to go empty.

[shevz]

More specific in the 10 yard line

If we dont run the ball sucessfully we always have problems

ps: im not blaming Luck for this I dont think its his fault

[John Waylon]

I just mentioned we need to improve the ability to procure TD's instead of FG's in the RZ in another thread...

Yeah, it seems we kinda bog down in the RZ at times.

[oldunclemark]

You may be.

I would not dwell on cherry-pick stats....inside the 20..inside the 10

in the 1st quarter...in the 4th quarter......they can mislead you even if they have meaning

are we moving the ball?...do we get first downs?. I think we are and we do...much of the time

Lets be real. We have allowed more points than we've scored..we're a team 1/3 of rookies...

//we have to pull off an upset almost every week....this whole season is one big uspet....

Its where we are and its what we do./.. we have to beat teams that are better than we are

[Ohio Colt]

I am a HUGE Luck fan, think he's absolutely amazing player. But I agree he seems to bog down in the red zone especially if its not a "back to the wall" situation, i've said it to myself.

[Nobody]

I'm hoping Fleener will help once he gets back. He was a redzone threat at Stanford. Heck, he was an everything threat at Stanford.

[Phil J]

My awesome thread.

[SOMDColtsfan]

Id sure love to see more TD`s than field goals like they`ve been scoring. Going to need to improve on that to have any chance for the playoffs! There...I said it!

[chad72]

Cant match the Pats' TDs with FGs, that is a no brainer, or any other good offense. We are not going to win a shootout with the Pats. Our best chance is to hold them to more FGs than TDs and keep the game close hoping a big play will turn the game around in the closing stages, easier said than done.

[Phil J]

Bump for relevance.

[betheafan41]

I'm hoping Fleener will help once he gets back. He was a redzone threat at Stanford. Heck, he was an everything threat at Stanford.

i have been waiting for that all year and still no TD's from him lol

[shevz]

http://forums.colts....12427-red-zone/

My awesome thread.

Sorry man I havent really noticed it

If someone can delete my topic I appreciate

[corgi]

I feel like Luck always throws to the middle of the field in the endzone, we need to attack the corners more. Always a massive cluster in the middle of the field. Guys need to get better seperation as well. The line also needs to hold up for more than five seconds for this to work.

[chadreece2001]

I think we are just better from further back... Somebody check Luck's numbers.... Is he more efficient on 3rd and 13 than 3rd and 5? It sure seems like it... I know one thing... Luck has my confidence on 3rd and whatever. And that is a quality I like.

[Phil J]

. The line also needs to hold up for more than five seconds for this to work.

Absolutely. This is #1

[Warhorse]

Merged.

[southwest1]

FG's aren't going to beat the Pats.

Exactly Phil, we have to match Tom Brady scoring drives toe for toe. Be bold on 1st down and go for the jugular. No guts; no glory baby! How do you think the nerd gets the drop dead gorgeous girlfriend?

2 words: Moxy & confidence man!

[coltnorth]

This is the same problem that the steelers had last year. With the smaller speed receivers, you can rack up big yards but in the red zone it gets harder because they dont have the space to operate in. When Fleener and Allen get more experience it will help. Also improved line play will give more time for receivers to get open. Although it seems to be a sin sometimes to say it here, getting a WR like Allen would help both in Red Zone plays and on third downs. A guy who can go up and get the ball. A lot of analysts are starting to say it too. Not saying it will happen but who knows. An offense who scores 25-30 points per game does help the D