Philadelphia Eagles Red-Zone Woes Tough to Fix vs. New York Jets

The Philadelphia Eagles know they need to get better at cashing touchdowns inside the 20 - they rank 27th in the NFL in doing so - but the Jets have one of the best defenses in the red zone.

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Eagles' red zone offense is ailing, but the New York Jets' defense isn’t one that a doctor would hand out a prescription to get well against.

The Jets stand tall when teams reach their 20 and are third overall in the NFL. They have allowed just five touchdowns on 16 trips by their opponents. Usually, they force teams to settle for field goals, with 10 of them allowed.

That’s what the Eagles have typically had to settle for when they breach the 20. They have visited that hallowed ground 19 times this year and have scored just eight touchdowns to go along with eight field goals. That 84.2 score percentage has them ranked 27 in the league in that department.

“We’ve been emphasizing it for the last couple of weeks,” said center Jason Kelce. “We know we need to start getting in the end zone. We’re very happy with how the offense has performed. Nobody wants to take away from that – we’re putting up points, we’re moving the ball, and time of possession is through the roof, we’re doing a lot of great things.

Jalen Hurts / USA Today

“The one area that we really have to improve on is the red zone. We’re very aware of it. We’ve been preaching it for the last couple of weeks and all we can do is keep working on it and eventually it will start clicking.”

The Eagles were just 2-for-6 in that area of the field in last week’s win over the Los Angeles Rams.

"Once you go in the red zone I think these games are a lot different," said quarterback Jalen Hurts. "You know, and I think that’s exciting because there’s so much more you can do. I think we’re doing a lot of things at a high level but there’s so much more to go." 

The struggles haven’t cost them, yet, but there has to be a way to pop this seemingly unpoppable pimple that has kept them from looking pretty in starting the season 5-0.

“I don’t know if we’re so used to getting big chunks then we have that taken away when the field is shorter, I don’t know if it’s route adjustments or what it is, but it’s frustrating,” said right tackle Lane Johnson. “It’s been multiple games where we had the ability to not make the games as close as they have been. That’s our biggest issue right now that we’re looking to fix.”

The frustration over it boiled over onto the sideline against the Rams. Kelce was very animated during a conversation with offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland and some teammates.

Kelce wouldn’t admit that was what had him hot, but he talked about the red zone in the postgame locker room.

“The red zone, I think, has been frustrating for everybody,” he said. “We’ve left a lot of points on the board and I let myself get too frustrated, too animated, and it wasn’t productive.”

It may be easier to fix if it was one or two things. That hasn’t been the case.

Most times it’s been a penalty here or a dropped pass there. Or a miscommunication or missed throw.

“For us, it's really just a balancing act of A, we have to do a great job of putting the plan together and putting those guys in the position to make plays,” said offensive coordinator Brian Johnson. “Secondly, we got to do a great job of executing and then we have to be great in our operation, whether that's in and out making the proper checks, putting those guys in the position to be successful on a down in and down out basis down there.

“Ultimately for us, we know that's an area that we have to continue to improve. You see us kind of moving the ball in between the 20's and doing a nice job in some areas, but that's definitely an area of focus for us to continue to fix.”

Johnson added that the red zone is “a different game down there.”

“Obviously, the field shrinks,” he said. “It's the one area of the field where it becomes wider than it is longer. Football is a little bit different down there.”

The Eagles need to find a way to play that game in that area of the field. The Jets would be a good place to start finding that way, but New York won’t make it easy when the two teams collide on Sunday (4:25 p.m./FOX) at MetLife Stadium.