The Baltimore Ravens offense, like many across the NFL this season, has bogged down in the red zone of late, scoring touchdowns on just two of their last nine trips, including 1 of 6 in a Week 6 win over Tennessee in London.
With the red area struggles, offensive coordinator Todd Monken expected questions on the subject this week.
"It starts with how we game plan it, how we call it, and then how we execute it," Monken responded Thursday, via the team's official website. "It's really that simple. We did an elite level early on and executed down there being able to run it in. We just have to do a better job of -- like I said -- scheming it, do a better job of executing it when we have those opportunities.
"We've done a good job the last couple of weeks of moving the football. That has not been the issue. We've solved some of those things in terms of being more explosive; creating our own identity; having a better rhythm. But turnovers and execution at the wrong times have hurt us -- there's no way around it. You've seen it, and we have to be better, and we're capable of better. That's the way it is, we are capable of it."
Last week, an ineffective rushing attack led to much of the red-zone troubles, as Baltimore was repeatedly stuffed in short-yardage situations.
Heading into Sunday's showdown with the 5-1 Detroit Lions, Monken, Lamar Jackson and the rest of the Ravens offense must answer whether the red-zone struggles were a two-week blip or a more systemic issue. During the first four weeks of the season, Baltimore went 12 of 15 in the red zone, the top percentage in the league over that span.
