Pats offense out of comfort zone
FOXBORO — The Patriots haven’t been operating with the best efficiency in the red zone. When Tom Brady and the offense have reached the money area inside the 20-yard line this season, they’ve scored 24 touchdowns on 38 chances (63 percent).
That’s good for 13th best in the league. Maybe that’s an acceptable standing for some teams, just not the Patriots, who are used to getting in the end zone with a little more frequency.
It’s certainly not good enough if they want to make another run at the Super Bowl. The Steelers convert 75 percent of the time. The Saints (73 percent), Chiefs (71) and Colts (68.8), teams in the playoff conversation, are all in the top five in red zone conversions. Even the Browns, with rookie Baker Mayfield, have a better rate (67.6) than the Pats.
The Patriots know they have to do a better job. They need to do better than the 1-for-3 they produced against the Jets at MetLife Stadium. The bad news?
It’s not going to get any easier to pump up their stats Sunday against the Vikings. The Men in Purple merely sport the NFL’s second-best defense in the red area, holding teams out of the end zone 43 percent of the time.
“That area of the field is always about execution and toughness, and we’ve had a few opportunities and just came up a little short on those, and certainly we stress that each week. That’s going to be a huge part of this week’s game against the Vikings,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said on a conference call. “This is as good a red area defense as there is in the league. They’re very well-schooled at what they do, they’re physical and fast and there’s not a lot of margin for error.”
Against the Jets, Brady seemed intent (perhaps too intent) on getting the ball to Rob Gronkowski when they advanced the ball inside the 20. None of the attempts were particularly close to connecting.
Gronkowski has been such a tremendous red zone weapon in the past. This season, prior to returning against the Jets after missing three of the previous four games, the All-Pro tight end hadn’t been targeted all that much. In all, he’s been targeted five times in the red zone this season (three against the Jets).
He’s also scored just two touchdowns in eight games played. Between back and ankle injuries, and still not quite being Gronk, he hasn’t been able to make the type of plays that he’s routinely made in the past, particularly in the red area. He hasn’t been able to break free and get open. That’s one of the reasons why the Patriots haven’t been as good statistically when they get down close.
“If there’s (single coverage) I have to make plays,” Gronkowski said yesterday when asked about the team’s red zone woes. “Whatever it is, you have to go out there and perform to your best. If it’s double (coverage), or single, you have to make plays.”
Difficulties aside, that doesn’t mean McDaniels should stop calling Gronk’s number and Brady should stop looking for his tight end. Just don’t force it like last week, when Gronkowski had no shot on any of the attempts.
In terms of running the ball, none of their backs, be it Sony Michel or James White, have been particularly effective at the goal line. Gadget man Cordarrelle Patterson has also been used with some success, but the Pats don’t have a real thumper who’s fairly automatic on short-yardage attempts.
Perhaps having Rex Burkhead will help. Burkhead, who is due to return after being activated off injured reserve, gives the Pats more options and versatility.
To this point, White has been Brady’s go-to guy with six touchdowns inside the red zone.
The steady improvement of Josh Gordon should eventually bolster production. He had one of his best games last week with five catches on five targets. He can certainly be a weapon in tight quarters. It’s just a matter of being in sync with Brady and continuing to build that chemistry and trust.
Speaking of the GOAT, he also needs to up his game because he hasn’t exactly been GOAT-like in the red area. He’s been off-target with some of his throws. But now that he has a full complement of receivers, backs, and his tight end has returned, he and McDaniels should be able to figure it out.
“We’re just going to have to work hard this week and know what we want to get done and then try to go out there and execute it against a really good defense on Sunday in those situations. Because when we’re down there, at this time of the year, you have to make the most of every opportunity you have to score touchdowns,” McDaniels said. “When we come away with field goals, you feel like it’s an empty trip sometimes, so we’ve got to do a good job of really understanding what the game plan is, going out there and having a great week of practice and then being able to execute when we have our chances on Sunday night.”