Red Zone Play Selection Questions

[Bill B]

A couple of questions that some of the Redskin faithful may have insight on with regards to the play selection of the red zone offense of the Skins:

1.) Why is it that so many of the passing plays of the Redskins Red zone offense are set up to the edges of the endzone? For example I see many plays that are set up for Malcolm Kelly that go to the outside - to me this just seems like it is giving the defense an advantage because the db only needs to worry about covering the inside field on the play. It almost seems like the Skins passing to the outside only limits the field of play and gives the defense another defender in the sideline. Yes it helps prevents turnovers but to me I just don't see a lot of the routes being run in the middle of the end zone which would be harder for a db/lb to defend. Am I missing something here? Are the Skins running a lot of routes in the middle and is Jason Campbell just focusing on the outside too much because he does not want to turn the ball over?

2.) Is the 2 tight end set even being used in the Red Zone with both Cooley and Fred Davis in the game at the same time? All I heard about was how Fred Davis during practice is almost impossible to cover - why not put him and Cooley at the same time and runing routes to open things up in th Red Zone? We are not having too much luck with our current WR's so why not put these 2 tight ends so it would add a little decpetion on whether we may run or pass?

3.) Running to one side and not using the spread offense: Ok I know many will respond back that we run to the one side because one half of our line is below average. But teams are just studying the film and we have become so predictable and they simply stack that side to defeat us. Why not use the spread offense a little more like when Portis was in Denver and prevent teams from stacking one side and preventing what we saw this past Sunday - even down there in the red zone? Also, why not run some to the other side - even if it gets stuffed it may keep teams a little more honest and not stack one side all the time.

4.) Using the hurry up. We seem to move the ball better by implementing the hurry up as this prevents the defense from bringing in fresh players - why not keep the heat on down in the red Zone and not allow the defense to bring in a set of fresh defenders? Maybe this will help our lineman win some of the one on one battles more as teams will not be able to simply bring in fresh defensive lineman while our oline stays constant.

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Originally Posted by Bill B

1.) Why is it that so many of the passing plays of the Redskins Red zone offense are set up to the edges of the endzone? For example I see many plays that are set up for Malcolm Kelly that go to the outside - to me this just seems like it is giving the defense an advantage because the db only needs to worry about covering the inside field on the play. It almost seems like the Skins passing to the outside only limits the field of play and gives the defense another defender in the sideline. Yes it helps prevents turnovers but to me I just don't see a lot of the routes being run in the middle of the end zone which would be harder for a db/lb to defend. Am I missing something here? Are the Skins running a lot of routes in the middle and is Jason Campbell just focusing on the outside too much because he does not want to turn the ball over?

You must use the whole field down there to spread things out as much as possible. When you have a 6'4" Kelly on the outside throwing the fade makes the CBs play honest and not cheat in to compress the field. Also if you are running a GL set and everything is compressed, the open areas are to the outside, so naturally that's where you attack.

We did actually try throws in the middle last week, they were either not caught or JC was rushed. The TD pass to ARE was on him settling in an open spot in the zone on the inside.

2.) Is the 2 tight end set even being used in the Red Zone with both Cooley and Fred Davis in the game at the same time? All I heard about was how Fred Davis during practice is almost impossible to cover - why not put him and Cooley at the same time and runing routes to open things up in th Red Zone? We are not having too much luck with our current WR's so why not put these 2 tight ends so it would add a little decpetion on whether we may run or pass?

It is being called, but the play selection from the formation is suspect. While Davis was brought in as an athletic threat that would create a mismatch against LBs or S, it doesn't appear Zorn is "calling his number".

3.) Running to one side and not using the spread offense: Ok I know many will respond back that we run to the one side because one half of our line is below average. But teams are just studying the film and we have become so predictable and they simply stack that side to defeat us. Why not use the spread offense a little more like when Portis was in Denver and prevent teams from stacking one side and preventing what we saw this past Sunday - even down there in the red zone? Also, why not run some to the other side - even if it gets stuffed it may keep teams a little more honest and not stack one side all the time.

The spread is not as effective inside the RZ and especially inside the 10 unless you have an elite QB (Manning, Brady level). Portis isn't the same back as in Denver and the Zone blocking scheme isn't working. We need to be balanced in our runs, if Rinehart & Heyer ain't going to get it done we need to know that.

4.) Using the hurry up. We seem to move the ball better by implementing the hurry up as this prevents the defense from bringing in fresh players - why not keep the heat on down in the red Zone and not allow the defense to bring in a set of fresh defenders? Maybe this will help our lineman win some of the one on one battles more as teams will not be able to simply bring in fresh defensive lineman while our oline stays constant.

This might be a good option, but really if the playcalling was better down there it isn't necessary .

[firstdown]

The fade route to Kelly should work but it seems that both Kelly and the ball get there out of bounds and they do not leave enough room from the side lines.

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Originally Posted by firstdown

The fade route to Kelly should work but it seems that both Kelly and the ball get there out of bounds and they do not leave enough room from the side lines.

I replayed the first fade to Kelly several times and it appeared to be a perfect throw with the DB grabbing Kelly's arm early, which should've been PI & 1st & Gl from the 1. That being said, Kelly has to come down with that ball if he's going to be a big time NFL WR.

[redsk1]

JC can't throw the fade. I have yet to see him throw a good fade route throw. IMO that fade to MK was overthrown and out of bounds.

The 2 TE set sounds promising to me.

I don't understand why we don't use some misdirect runs (like Detroit) where the QB flicks it in the opposite direction of our olineman. A Norv Turner classic run play.

[NYCskinfan82]

People need to make up their minds one week people say we should be doing a fade to MK the next week use the whole endzone, personally i would like a mixture. JZ going for it on 4th and goal was a good call CP and the OF should of made it & the DF should not allow a team to march 99 yards for a TD. The Skins need to make a DVD of all the missed calls the refs did not calls Since we are not a good team yet we don't get many calls for us we get alot against us. Sundays game was a Vegas game because in the 2nd half they meaning the refs did everything to make sure we did not win IMO.

HTTR.