Garoppolo Brings Raiders Much-Needed Red-Zone Production
The Las Vegas Raiders were toward the bottom of the league (26) in red zone scoring percentage (touchdowns) last season.
That made the difference in many of their tight losses. Should it be an area they improve on this season, it could do wonders for their chances of returning to the postseason.
"I mean, we had opportunities last year, and again, there are a lot of things we can do better from last season," Raiders Coach Josh McDaniels said at the NFL's Annual League Meeting last Monday. "We've tried to go through our entire process and be critical of ourselves and what we've done and how we can improve it. And that's certainly an area that if you're going to be good in the NFL and win a lot of close games -- which, as we heard last night in the session, there are more close games now than there's ever been. And so, being able to convert those third-down opportunities in the red zone, being able to score more touchdowns in the red zone is obviously paramount to being able to go further into the season, make the playoffs and beyond."
New Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo could be just the change they need in those situations.
The two-time Super Bowl winner finished last season with a 60.5 percent red-zone passing efficiency. He threw 12 touchdown passes in the red zone, while also having running for two. Keep in mind, he played in only 11 games.
In the 2019 season when Garoppolo led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl, he posted a near 65 red-zone passing efficiency percentage, finishing fourth in the league in red-zone completions with 48.
McDaniels shared his thoughts as to why Garoppolo has a history of being effective in the red zone.
"Look, when you get down there, there's less space, there are more defenders in a smaller area, it's easier to disguise, so there's a lot going on for the quarterback," McDaniels said. "And so, to be able to sort it out, make quick decisions under pressure with less information, that takes time. And so, Jimmy's learned and adapted to our league and to our game and been able to play fast down there, which is important. Get to the right guy, because a lot of times, there are a few guys who are double-teamed, then there's one or two who might not be. And he gets to them pretty quickly and gets to his progressions and just has a knack for making plays down there."
The 2023 NFL Draft will go from April 27-29 and be held at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo. The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period began at 4 p.m. EDT on March 15.
The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this offseason.
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