Its been contended elsewhere that our Tight (inside opp 10) Red Zone play-calling is trash and that is why we're so brutally inefficient. Let's have a look under the hood and see what has gone on, shall we?
vs Chicago
1ST & 9 AT CHI 9 |08:46
(8:46) J.Rodgers up the middle to CHI 6 for 3 yards (A.Hicks).
PLAY AND DEFENSE: I formation, 2 TE (balanced), Outside Zone Left Lead vs 3-4 base w/ rolled up safety for 8 man box.
WHAT HAPPENED:
Play side was pretty well blocked but Quizz chose to cut back. Problem there is that Dot won only for a moment and was immediately shed. What looked to be a good cutback lane close quickly and the free DE and filling SS cleaned it up for 3. May have gotten 4 or 5 play-side, but we'll never know.
Outcome: Stalemate due to cutback read on Outside Zone possibly not being the right read by RB and then backside OT losing. 3 yards on first down in TRZ is pretty much break even, but if you gave every OC the choice of 5 OL + 3 TE vs an 8 man front, they would say YES PLEASE! This was a play set up to win.
2ND & 6 AT CHI 6 |08:07
(8:07) J.Winston pass incomplete short middle to M.Evans.
PLAY AND DEFENSE: I formation, Strong Right, Stacked Tight Twins Left. Evans in motion to Tight right. PA-fake Offtackle Right (they had this same run a few times prior). Classic WR route combo of DJax Cross at goal-line and ME Dig in back of Endzone. FB Flat. OJ shallow Cross on LoS.
They bust the coverage badly. They're trying to play a Man/Zone combo, but at least 1 player busts their Man responsibility. They only bring 3.
WHAT HAPPENED:
The PA holds the LBs and that plus the Mesh concept of OJ and DJax has DJax well open as the LB that would be underneath it is drawn to OJ. Ball should have been here immediately. This was taking candy from a baby. Would have been a trivial TD. This shallow Mesh concept should have been the 1st read. For some reason, JW has prioritized Evans here who has the slowest developing Dig route that will only come open late. Well, the pass protection is good and it does come open late. For some reason, JW is randomly moving right (there isn't a defender within 4 yards of him...cleanest pocket imaginable) and then throws off his back foot very high to the (open) Evans who just gets his fingertips on the ball and it sails out of bounds.
This is a schemed win on multiple levels.
