In Part 1, we built our 1st down call sheet. In Part 2, we built our 2nd down call sheet. In Part 3, we built out 3rd/4th down call sheet. In Part 4 - our final part - we’re building our Red Zone sheet.
We’re breaking the red zone up into two sections: high red zone (20-11 yard line) and low red zone (10-goal line). As you get closer to the red zone, the area shrinks and your call sheet shrinks. So we’re preparing for that here.
High Red Zone
Wolf
Average times run: 0.1
Average yards: 10.0
Completion%: 100.0
TDs: 1
Wolf is the same general concept as China in that it’s a high-low concept outside the numbers. But where China has the outside receiver running an in-cutting route, Wolf cuts outside. It can help move the underneath defender to the boundary, opening an earlier window on the corner. On the TD the Packers scored off this concept, they paired it with an angle route from the backfield, which is always something I will love.
If you want to flip this a bit, turn the corner route into a post and you can high-low the LBs in the middle by turning it into the Texas concept.
Double-China (Dusty)
Average times run: 0.2
Average yards: 13.0
Completion%: 100.0
TDs: 1
We covered this in Part 3, so we don’t need to get too deep into it here. It’s a nice concept in this area because you have room for the corner route, but the defense also has to react quickly so creating a high-low on the boundary defender can create a nice bit of space in the end zone.
Dragon (Double)
Average times run: 0.3
Average yards: 10.7
Completion%: 66.7
TDs: 2
The only high red zone concept to score multiple TDs on the season, so you better believe I’m keeping it. A solid concept that the team could run in their sleep. You’ve got a follow slant concept. If that’s not there, you’ve got room in the flat.
Drift
Average times run: 0.1
Average yards: 12.0
Completion%: 100.0
TDs: 1
I’m a big fan of play action in their area. Basically, you just want to get bodies yo-yoing a bit and you just need the false step (or two) that play action can give you. This plays well off the Wide Zone run game. If you can get the linebackers pulled up to the line on the play fake, you’ve got plenty of room behind them. And the high red zone gives you the room you need for the depth of the dig route.
Low Red Zone
Curl/Flat
Average times run: 0.3
Average yards: 0.7
Completion%: 66.7
TDs: 1
The Packers haven’t been great in this area in 2021, so the numbers aren’t great across the board. I’ll roll with this concept that has a decent completion% and a nice read progression on the concept side for Rodgers. He can read curl-curl-flat while he’s dropping back and be ready to fire by the time he hits his back foot.
Mesh
Average times run: 0.1
Average yards: 3.0
Completion%: 0.0
TDs: 1
I know I ditched Mesh in my piece on Cheesehead TV this week, but I was also open for running it in the red zone. In my notes I wrote, “but only if it’s pretty slick.” And I like this version a lot in this area.
The play above happened before I started charting everything and it happened in the high red zone, but just barely in the high red zone. Anyway, big fan. I love the receiver running the sit route tightly following the initial release of the drag. Makes it really hard for the defense to pick up on the releases. I’m also a sucker for a release through the line and into the flat.
In the low red zone, I want concepts that create a little confusion. Create a false step or make the defense question what they’re seeing, if even for a split second. Then get the bodies flying around in a compressed area and get them to potentially knock each other off their defensive assignments. This dresses Mesh up just enough to get it onto my call sheet.
Follow-Slant (Tight)
Average times run: NA
Average yards: NA
Completion%: NA
TDs: NA
We’re throwing an extra one in here, because it’s one of my favorite low red zone concepts. Pretty simple: it’s a follow-slant, but it’s run with the outside slant running off the hip of the inside slant. That release makes it extremely difficult to defend. The outside defender can’t fight through the rub and there’s not a lot of room for the inside defender to pick it up if they’re passing off routes. The throw has to be on-time and on-target, but it’s something we’ve seen Rodgers do in the past.
Plus, it opens the door for stuff like this:
That gives us our call sheet! We’ve walked through all 4 downs and have also put together a pretty nice little red zone package. Frankly, I feel good about our chances.
Big up to everyone following along. I know this is pretty limited in terms of people who will actually find this interesting, but I know it was an interesting for me to look at it this way, so I hope you all found it interesting to read.