The Raiders are currently 11th in the NFL in scoring offense, averaging just under 27 points per game. That is quite the improvement from last year when they finished 24th and scored less than 20 points per game. However, their offensive output this season still feels like a slight disappointment given how explosive they have been on that side of the ball.
Believe it or not, the Raiders have had the fourth-most red zone trips in the NFL (57). Unfortunately, their red zone success rate has been far below average. Through Week 16, their touchdown rate in the red zone is at just 54 percent, ranking 25th in the NFL.
Whenever the Raiders get down inside the red zone, more often than not, they opt to kick short field goals rather than being aggressive. Consider this; no team in the NFL has kicked more short field goals than the Raiders (18) this season. In fact, only one other team has double-digit field goal attempts inside of 30 yards (Panthers with 12).
Take a look at the full list below of 20-29 yard field goal attempts via SportRadar:
No team in the NFL has kicked more short field goals than the #Raiders this season. pic.twitter.com/cKMJzo4zGF
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) December 29, 2020
Unfortunately, this isn’t a one-year problem, either. Since Jon Gruden rejoined the team in 2018, no one has attempted more short field goals (34) than the Raiders. Just for perspective, the Packers have kicked seven total field goals from 20-29 yards since 2018. That is quite a difference.
If the Raiders want to become an elite team, they are going to need to stop settling for field goals in the red zone and start scoring touchdowns. Even a slight bump in red zone touchdown percentage could have been the difference in this team making the playoffs or not.
The Raiders have a ton of red-zone weapons, but their execution (and play-calling) has not been up to par this year. Look for this to be an area the Raiders try to improve on in the offseason as it’s the fastest way they can go from a good to great team in 2021.
