Film Breakdown: Why The Bills Struggle In The Red Zone and How They Can Fix It

[JohnNord]

A very good breakdown by Erik Turner from Cover 1 sharing some of the issues with the Bills offense inside the red zone.

 

The Bills are very good in the low red zone close to goal line but have had issues further out.  
 

Turner explains that defenses are playing a soft zone with a light box and more defenders to play the pass.  
 

Defensive Linemen are wisely not rushing upfield and instead are keying in on Allen.   The obvious answer here is to run the ball against a light box but the offensive line/running backs haven’t been good enough to win matchups.  Defenses are confident their line or mid-level defenders can make a play against the run.  This explains why so many drives have stalled this year.  

 

Here’s what the Bills need to do according to Turner:

 

1. Ditch the RPO’s near the goal one and call more drop back passes.

2. Daboll needs to scheme up more zone beater routes toward the goal one.

3. Josh needs to improve the accuracy on his his seam throws and pull the trigger when them he sees and opening.
4. Josh and his teammates need to win in the outside of the endzone and not in the congested middle of the field.  

No reason to be concerned yet.  He thinks the Bills have a chance to get this right with better play-calling concepts.
 

One of the best breakdowns I’ve seen as of late:

 

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by JohnNord

[RoyBatty is alive]

Thanks.

 

The guy is good and has a nice presentation.

[billsbackto81]

His reasoning is spot on. This O line and run game isn't good enough in the RZ for defenses to respect. 

 

Josh will have to make more high risk/ high reward throws. He's very weary of making costly mistakes in the RZ which is why he hasn't thrown a RZ pick in his entire career I believe. Sooner or later you're gonna realize 3 pts isn't going to cut it.

[Buffalo716]

The only issue I have is that ditching rpos in the red zone is not a good idea 

 

Historically rpos have always been zone beaters and highly effective in the red zone.. you just need to use Red zone specific concepts 

 

I think it's something that should absolutely be incorporated around the goal line

 

 

 

[Virgil]

Gabe Davis was our biggest receiving red zone threat last year and he isn’t on the field.  That’s part of it 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Run Josh more on QB sweeps. If Josh is carrying the football by definition you have an extra lead blocker. 

How about running an effective screen once in a while - either to WR or TE. Josh has thrown some bad balls on these seemingly simple throws.

Don't give up on the run too. 

One scheme I never liked is the designed roll outs. Seems like you are giving up half the field and condensing your options in a smaller space. That said they work beautifully sometimes.  

[Steptide]

Just do number 1 and you'll probably improve the red zone efficiency 20%

Edited October 26, 2021 by Steptide

[Motorin']

22 minutes ago, Virgil said:

Gabe Davis was our biggest receiving red zone threat last year and he isn’t on the field.  That’s part of it 

 

I almost wonder if they've been using him sparingly to let him heal up from whatever ankle issue he was dealing with. And then plan to ramp him up in the 2nd half of the season. 

[WideNine]

Allen has fed off those drag routes near the back of the end zone for a while especially when he has rolled out to extend plays.

 

I think that is his comfort zone, but teams are standing defenders up on the goal line so as Allen is looking for that trailing receiver he is seeing narrow windows and bodies in the way.

 

So he has held the ball more down there than we have seen before. Still always a danger to run it himself.

 

Attacking the zone gaps with quick seam and post routes rather than drag routes may be more effective and is another thing I expect Allen will master.

 

Sucks that we cannot run up the middle when we have the numbers advantage, but you have to play to your strengths.

 

I think you still have to TRY running  - pulling guys and using counters to test those safeties and LBs filling from the slots, just to keep play action viable.

 

Play action down there helps create the hesitation and enough space needed to beat the zones.

 

Dabs and Dorsey have some time to go back to the lab and scheme up some solutions they can practice.

 

 

 

 

 

[JohnNord]

50 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

The only issue I have is that ditching rpos in the red zone is not a good idea 

 

Historically rpos have always been zone beaters and highly effective in the red zone.. you just need to use Red zone specific concepts 

 

I think it's something that should absolutely be incorporated around the goal line

 

 

 

I misrepresented what he said… he said to call less RPO’s as opposed to “ditching” them

[Billsfan1972]

Receivers not doing him favours.  Even the to Sweeney was a perfect pass.

[CircleTheWagons99]

Stop getting cute with the play calling in the redzone

[WideNine]

6 minutes ago, JohnNord said:

I misrepresented what he said… he said to call less RPO’s as opposed to “ditching” them

 

I get those a bit confused too as he said he wanted to see more zone reads (reading DL player) with Allen keeping the ball and making plays with the ball in his hands - getting outside the tackles vs RPOs (traditionally reading LB, but I guess could be reading extra S with how teams play Allen) for inside handoff or pass.

 

Either way using RPOs can still be a part of the plan on inside runs.

 

 

 

 

 

[JohnNord]

19 minutes ago, Billsfan1972 said:

Receivers not doing him favours.  Even the to Sweeney was a perfect pass.

I don’t know about that.  It’s not like they have been dropping passes or anything.  Teams are dropping 7 in coverage including 4 at the goal line so there’s not a lot they can do.  
 

The lack of running game is what hurts them

[Buffalo716]

30 minutes ago, JohnNord said:

I misrepresented what he said… he said to call less RPO’s as opposed to “ditching” them

That make sense since I think there is a such thing as calling it too much 

 

 

 

 

[Rockinon]

1. Need to coach up that OL, because the defense is literally daring them to run. Need better blocking schemes.

2. Need to occasionally ditch those RPOs in favor of a strait up drop back pass. Not too much, because defenses will begin to blitz.

3. When the D is confused and doesn't know what is coming at them next return to the RPO.

 

I think the offense just needs some minor adjustments and will figure it out as the season progresses.

[ngbills]

utilize the edges, play action roll out, crossing routes, spread the field, make the d account for allen;s legs

[WhoTom]

1 hour ago, Ethan in Portland said:

One scheme I never liked is the designed roll outs. Seems like you are giving up half the field and condensing your options in a smaller space. That said they work beautifully sometimes.  

 

With Josh's arm, it's more like giving up one-fourth of the field.

 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

10 minutes ago, WhoTom said:

 

With Josh's arm, it's more like giving up one-fourth of the field.

 

Good point.  Still dangerous throwing back across the field but Josh has done it a few times with success

[Mango]

1 hour ago, Motorin' said:

 

I almost wonder if they've been using him sparingly to let him heal up from whatever ankle issue he was dealing with. And then plan to ramp him up in the 2nd half of the season. 

 

I think this is overthought. It think it is as simple as Sanders is still a very good receiver in the NFL, and better than Davis at this stage in both of their careers. 

 

To your point though, our WR corp is largely slick, smooth and quick, not big and/or physical. Davis provides a bit more of that. We generally lack size.