Defensively, things were worse. The Patriots were 12th in the AFC and 21st in the league, allowing touchdowns on 22 of 40 trips to the red zone (55 percent).
New England could have won more than two road games had it performed better in this phase of the game. During a 16-9 loss to the Jets at the Meadowlands in Week 2, the Patriots got inside the red zone three times, but had to settle for three Stephen Gostkowski field goals.
In Denver in Week 5, the Broncos put together a 12-play, 98-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime (Denver won, 20-17). In the past, a Bill Belichick defense may have allowed an opponent to move between the 20-yard lines, but once it crossed into the red area, things became much more difficult.
The need for improvement was clear.
“[Belichick] talked to us about it and said we weren’t very good in the red zone, that was something we had to work on,’’ cornerback Leigh Bodden said recently. “That’s true because that’s where you get the points . . . that’s where games are won and lost, in the red zone. If you can keep them out, keep them from scoring, you can win. We definitely have to be better in that area to win games.
“So, you know, it’s a point of emphasis that we’re making and it’s helping us along and hopefully it will help us during the season.’’
Belichick did not believe that the number of practice plays in the red zone were any more than usual, but spreading them out, doing a few every day, may have a positive impact.
“There’s a cumulative effect as opposed to a heavy concentration on fewer days,’’ he said. “There are different situations that come up every day. It’s not the same thing over and over again, but I think it’s probably . . . we talked about it and I feel like our conclusion is that maybe it’s a little more realistic.
