Description

Hard Copy Book by Brett Taveau, shipping included

“Once you get into the red area it’s a different game. It’s a different emphasis. There’s different plays. We have different defenses. The way you defend the field is different because it’s different. It’s changing your mind-set to what’s required down there, whichever side of the ball you’re on – offense or defense – it doesn’t matter. It’s just that things change. They’re different down there. You’ve got to treat them differently.”

-Bill Belichick, in an interview with CBS Boston in January of 2018

As quoted above by arguably the most successful coach in NFL history, football in the red zone is its own game within the game. The lack of vertical space available to the offense swings what has become an offensive game, back to advantage defense. Defenses not having to account for near as much vertical space allows them to defend other parts of the field with greater numbers. Space is at a premium and it takes both creative design and high-level execution to win it.

The difference between getting three points and seven points is massive for your chances of winning at all levels of football. In the 2023-2024 NFL season, only three of the fourteen playoff teams (Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Green Bay) finished in the bottom half of the league in Red Zone TD%. Additionally, seven of the top nine teams in red zone TD% were playoff teams. After turnover margin, it is the most influential barometer of winning and losing.

This book contains over 260 plays that I believe tell the story of how NFL offenses overcame the challenges of getting the toughest yards in football. Each play shows the actions of all offensive players and key defensive players, as well as analysis regarding why the play was successful. There is also identifiable information for each play (game, offensive team, quarter, down and distance, hash, and yard line) so they can easily be found with an NFL+ subscription and you see the plays for yourself to draw your own conclusions.

This is an extremely valuable resource for coaches wanting to sharpen their red zone menu, as well as anyone else that just wants to expand their knowledge of offensive football.