Red zone struggles

[The Ramowl]

As we've all noticed, red zone success has been a really dark spot for the team this season and a big struggle factor.

Looking at the stats, in the last three games we are last in the league with a 22,22% RZ percentage and an average 0.7 RZ TD per game.
Obviously this is no way to win playoff games.

I've been trying to see if that was coinciding with Whitworth's injury, but it seems not:

Week 1 to 10 -> 62.86 RZ% (Ranked 16th in the league) -> this is on par with a 64% in 2019, it's not great but not terrible.
Whitworth's injury is Week 10 against Seattle, Week 10 is the Bye. After that we have this :

W11 Buccaneers : 3-3 (3 TD for 3 Attempts)
W12 SF : 1-1
W13 AZ : 3-6
W14 Pats : 2-3
W15 Jets : 2-3
W16 Sea : 0-2
W17 AZ : 0-4

-> Total percentage from W13 to W17 : 36%

However it's probably right to attribute it in part to Goffs performance somehow as the numbers show his decrease in performance from the Miami Game.

But as Goff wasn't playing yesterday when we had a 0-4 RZ performance, it can clearly not only be put on him.

What do you guys think ?

 

[NJRamsFan]

I think our o line is worse than most thought throughout the year and was masked early by McVay and exposed throughout the year, and made worse with big Whit going down. When you repeatedly can’t move the ball an inch for the less than one yard td that’s on your o line. That being said ...if we still had even a hobbled gurley we would certainly score some of those

 

[Mister Sin]

Ima go ahead and just blame Everett for us not having an addition 12

 

[dang]

We have no high point strong handed receivers. I was hoping Reynolds or everett would provide that but as we have seen many times over thats not in their toolbelt. Need to address that for next year. As far as running anything up the middle we have a below average run blocking center so everything gets jammed up pretty easily. Need to address that for next year.

 

[RhodyRams]

I think our o line is worse than most thought throughout the year and was masked early by McVay and exposed throughout the year, and made worse with big Whit going down. When you repeatedly can’t move the ball an inch for the less than one yard td that’s on your o line. That being said ...if we still had even a hobbled gurley we would certainly score some of those

This is it. Teams always load up with their biggest bodies on D. Rams Oline is undersized and dont match up well.

Of course yesterday there were a few presnap penalties that moved the rams back from the 1 to the 11( think Wolfman took a sack also), then Akers with a costly fumble

 

[Soul Surfer]

As we've all noticed, red zone success has been a really dark spot for the team this season and a big struggle factor.

Looking at the stats, in the last three games we are last in the league with a 22,22% RZ percentage and an average 0.7 RZ TD per game.
Obviously this is no way to win playoff games.

I've been trying to see if that was coinciding with Whitworth's injury, but it seems not:

Week 1 to 10 -> 62.86 RZ% (Ranked 16th in the league) -> this is on par with a 64% in 2019, it's not great but not terrible.
Whitworth's injury is Week 10 against Seattle, Week 10 is the Bye. After that we have this :

W11 Buccaneers : 3-3 (3 TD for 3 Attempts)
W12 SF : 1-1
W13 AZ : 3-6
W14 Pats : 2-3
W15 Jets : 2-3
W16 Sea : 0-2
W17 AZ : 0-4

-> Total percentage from W13 to W17 : 36%

However it's probably right to attribute it in part to Goffs performance somehow as the numbers show his decrease in performance from the Miami Game.View attachment 42529

But as Goff wasn't playing yesterday when we had a 0-4 RZ performance, it can clearly not only be put on him.

What do you guys think ?

I think you're 100% right.
Goff was not playing.

Since it was Wolford's first start in the NFL I, (personally) am not even concerned about it at this point.

Wolford will get better.

His running ability actually gives us more of a chance of making it in the end zone than Goff.

 

[Faceplant]

This goes back to McVay's time in Washington. That was the big complaint around here from fans that were frustrated that they would move the ball but not score. Sound familiar? That was a pathetic team effort when we were on their goal line for what felt like 10 plays and five minutes for nothing. They HAVE to get better in those situations. Why not use Higs as a FB in those situations?

 

[madrid311]

why not run brown in that situation? we have seen him make those tough runs, its his forte. of course he has fumbled as well. why not try #99 in that situation? lol

 

[T-REX]

I love McVay and wouldn’t want any other coach leading the RAMS but the RZ is his kryptonite.

I’m not an X’s and O’s guy but I have eyes. I agree not having a player that can highpoint the ball in the corner of the end zone doesn’t help but the play scheming has left me scratching my head.

I realize the o-line at this time can’t get the push needed for that 1-2 yard up the gut play, but try scheming some other ways to shake a guy loose. You see other teams scheming ways to get players wide open in the end zone, I've seen it week in and week out. It might be a personnel problem? The last two weeks has been alarming.

Even McVay knows he’s lacking in this department. Hopefully he works on this and comes up with ways to get guys open in the EZ. When you're inside the 5 yard line it's almost a must score a TD situation, you can’t win in the playoffs kicking FG’s.

Just my opinion...

GO RAMS!

 

[iamme33]

man it would be nice to have a big snot licking ol for those goal line plays. and no shooting ourselves in the foot with penalties or dropped passes. still there should be a way to scheme a touch down on those 1st and goals.

 

[Bootleg]

I agree that a subpar OL and the lack of a big target receiver are the main reasons for lack of redzone success.

But also, McVay becomes completely vanilla when he gets near the goal. Why not add an additional lineman if you want to try and punch it in three times at the one yard line? The defense knows it's coming anyways. Or why not get creative and put #99 in at fullback --- at the very least for distraction. Or why not run an exotic play like the statue of liberty or pass to an eligible lineman? Heck, I remember McVay running a TE pitch back in 2017. I don't think the Rams have run one creative red zone play in the last couple of years.

 

[Ellard80]

i agree play calling could be better... but it's just as much execution.

Akers fumbles at the 1 trying to get cute with the ball.
Everett looks like my mother trying to catch a fade pattern.
Back to back false starts at the 1.

So while i think mcvay warrants some criticism - if you look at those 3 things its pretty glaring why we didn't score TDs

players making critical errors or not making football plays that need to be made.

 

[ProGen]

Defo need some fresh thinking from McVay once we are in the RZ

It would help if we had a nasty hog of an O-Line that we could run behind...

 

[Jacobarch]

I agree that a subpar OL and the lack of a big target receiver are the main reasons for lack of redzone success.

But also, McVay becomes completely vanilla when he gets near the goal. Why not add an additional lineman if you want to try and punch it in three times at the one yard line? The defense knows it's coming anyways. Or why not get creative and put #99 in at fullback --- at the very least for distraction. Or why not run an exotic play like the statue of liberty or pass to an eligible lineman? Heck, I remember McVay running a TE pitch back in 2017. I don't think the Rams have run one creative red zone play in the last couple of years.

You took the words right out of my mouth. You're 100% correct.

 

[CGI_Ram]

If we are inside the 3 yard line... we almost always run it, particularly on first down. There is predictable shift in aggressiveness as we get close and it's pretty noticeable.

If that tendency goes back to the days in Washington... then it sounds like the data is piling up as an opportunity to get better in this offensive scheme.

This defense is fun to watch with a lead. Get points... let them take over.

 

[RentonRamsFan]

I thought Wolford's run near the goal line, where he got stuffed at the 1, he could easily have taken it out towards the pylon with his speed, and with Aker's block. Now that we've seen how fast he is, McVay can design something better if Wolford is still playing. Also, the throw to Everett was perfect to me - agree with the earlier post that we need someone who can go get those balls. Honestly, we should've had 2 TDs yesterday, and at least a FG if Akers doesn't fumble

 

[So Ram]

As we've all noticed, red zone success has been a really dark spot for the team this season and a big struggle factor.

Looking at the stats, in the last three games we are last in the league with a 22,22% RZ percentage and an average 0.7 RZ TD per game.
Obviously this is no way to win playoff games.

I've been trying to see if that was coinciding with Whitworth's injury, but it seems not:

Week 1 to 10 -> 62.86 RZ% (Ranked 16th in the league) -> this is on par with a 64% in 2019, it's not great but not terrible.
Whitworth's injury is Week 10 against Seattle, Week 10 is the Bye. After that we have this :

W11 Buccaneers : 3-3 (3 TD for 3 Attempts)
W12 SF : 1-1
W13 AZ : 3-6
W14 Pats : 2-3
W15 Jets : 2-3
W16 Sea : 0-2
W17 AZ : 0-4

-> Total percentage from W13 to W17 : 36%

However it's probably right to attribute it in part to Goffs performance somehow as the numbers show his decrease in performance from the Miami Game.View attachment 42529

But as Goff wasn't playing yesterday when we had a 0-4 RZ performance, it can clearly not only be put on him.

What do you guys think ?

Like I started another thread on Kevin O”Connell. I think he plays a role.His play calling(wtf he does?) is all right.
My thing with The Rams offense is so much has changed since he has become The Rams OC. Where is anything printed about this dude? Does he get a free pass?
-We will see what The Future brings with Kevin O’Connell.To me it is
MIND-BLOWING
Then again The Rams have a young RB core with so many options that they lose out on consistency.
Todd Gurley was(is) a TD machine.Has a nose for the Goal Line.

 

[Tano]

Like I started another thread on Kevin O”Connell. I think he plays a role.His play calling(wtf he does?) is all right.
My thing with The Rams offense is so much has changed since he has become The Rams OC. Where is anything printed about this dude? Does he get a free pass?
-We will see what The Future brings with Kevin O’Connell.To me it is
MIND-BLOWING
Then again The Rams have a young RB core with so many options that they lose out on consistency.
Todd Gurley was(is) a TD machine.Has a nose for the Goal Line.

That was the only thing I knew I was going to miss about Gurley.

Even this season, once Atlanta got close to the goal line, Gurley was more than likely to get it in at least in the first 10 games - 9 TDs

His last 6 games, he had fewer than 10 runs every game. Still should have put him in when they were near the goal line.

 

[FrantikRam]

Two minute performance is worse than the redzone.

Each game has been a little different - against Seattle we tried to run it four times and couldn't get it. Against Arizona, Everett dropped a perfect TD pass from Wolford. Guys jumped offsides.

I think we've had a few other instances early in the year when we jumped offsides or held.

You'd think for a team that specializes in five yard plays we'd get better around the goaline..

 

[dieterbrock]

Analysis paralysis....
Week's 1-10, 62.9%
Week's 11-15, 69%
Seattle 0-2, drops 11-16 to 61.1%
Zona 0-4
I think the bigger issue, particularly in the Seahawks game, is the lack of Red Zone trips all together