Cardinals seek improvement in red-zone efficiency on offense
The Arizona Cardinals, averaging 26.3 points per game this season, have fallen all the way to 10th in the league in scoring. That has happened because they have not scored more than 23 points in their last three games. They have averaged 17 points per game in their three consecutive losses.
What has been the issue? Mainly, it has been the red zone.
They have not been very good in recent weeks at scoring touchdowns when they get inside the 20.
At the beginning of December, they were No. 3 in red-zone percentage, scoring touchdowns on 70.5% of their trips to the red zone. That percentage has dropped to 62.1 percent.
They have scored three touchdowns in the last 10 trips to the red zone in their last three games, all losses. They were 2-for-4 in the red zone against the Chicago Bears, giving them a 35.7% touchdown rate in the last month.
“I think kicking field goals instead of scoring touchdowns – earlier in the season we were scoring touchdowns instead of kicking field goals – I think that’s the part right now,” quarterback Kyler Murray said Wednesday. “We are moving the ball. It’s not an issue. We’ve just got to put the ball in the end zone and stop kicking field goals.”
They don’t have DeAndre Hopkins right now, so other players have to step up. Against a Dallas Cowboys team that is No. 1 in scoring, Arizona can’t afford not to score touchdowns when they get in the red zone this week.
List
Rams take NFC West lead as rest of division loses in Week 16
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
Latest show:
Previous shows:
and
