Two weeks in, and three players who’ve seen more than 2 passes inside the 10 are Larry Fitzgerald, Mohamed Sanu and DeMarco Murray. Who saw that coming? But this is the silly game that we play.
I always like to keep an eye on the front half of the red zone – inside the 10. Those are the crucial, memorable plays, and they tend to give us an idea of what players teams are trying to feature. (The picture becomes clearer when more games are played.)
Kirk Cousins, for one, has struggled more than anyone in that part of the field, completing 1 of 7 passes, with 2 interceptions and no touchdowns. (He threw an 11-yard touchdown to Jamison Crowder last week, but here I’m just look at 10 yards and in.)
Last year Cousins was phenomenal in that part of the field, completing 27 of 44 passes, with 18 TDs, two 2-point conversions and no interceptions.
I would like to see them start using Jordan Reed again in that area. He has been the intended target on only one pass in that part of the field this year, a fade route that wasn’t on target. Last year, Cousins went 9 of 11 throwing to Reed in there (7 TDs), and I remember seeing more slant-type routes.
Josh Doctson missed all of camp, but Washington has been trying to get him going. They were trying to feature him in the red zone last week, and I saw Cousins miss him on 3 fades into the end zone, including 2 inside the 10.
Fitzgerald is leading the way thus far, with a league-high 3 TDs inside the 10. Sanu has been solid, catching all 4 passes thrown his way (including 2 TDs).
Amari Cooper somehow made it through all of last year without being the intended target on a pass inside the 10. He’s been targeted 3 times already this season.
Travaris Cadet is one of the bigger surprises, with 3 targets already in this part of the field.
Antonio Brown, remarkably, has only one target so far in this part of the field (an incompletion).
| MULTIPLE TARGETS INSIDE THE 10 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Tgt | Rec | TD | Pct |
| L.Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 5 | 3 | 3 | 60% |
| M.Sanu, Atl. | 4 | 4 | 2 | 50% |
| D.Murray, Tenn. | 4 | 2 | 2 | 50% |
| E.Sanders, Den. | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| J.Nelson, G.B. | 3 | 3 | 2 | 67% |
| T.Cadet, N.O. | 3 | 1 | 1 | 33% |
| A.Cooper, Oak. | 3 | 1 | 1 | 33% |
| M.Crabtree, Oak. | 3 | 2 | 2 | 67% |
| J.James, Pitt. | 3 | 2 | 1 | 33% |
| M.Floyd, Ariz. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| K.Benjamin, Car. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| C.Uzomah, Cin. | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| D.Bryant, Dall. | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| E.Elliott, Dall. | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| D.Thomas, Den. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| E.Ebron, Det. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| M.Jones, Det. | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| D.Adams, G.B. | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| B.Miller, Hou. | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| J.Doyle, Ind. | 2 | 2 | 1 | 50% |
| B.Cooks, N.O. | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| O.Beckham, NYG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| V.Cruz, NYG | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| B.Marshall, NYJ | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| B.Powell, NYJ | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| E.Decker, NYJ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| A.Holmes, Oak. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| S.Roberts, Oak. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| A.Gates, S.D. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| D.Woodhead, S.D. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| J.Crowder, Wash. | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| J.Doctson, Wash. | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| P.Garcon, Wash. | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
—Ian Allan