On to our weekly (and final) red zone update post for the 2009 season - provided that this week's game is the final contest of the year for the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Because I didn't get to this post last week, you'll find the red zone numbers from both the Green Bay and the Baltimore games below. Many thanks to Comcast for sponsoring BTSC and the other SBN football blogs this season. Their Red Zone Channel continues to receive rave reviews. If you find yourself frustrated watching out of market games and you are missing more football than you should each week, check out the channel and consider at least catching each and every play, league wide, inside the 20 yard line.
Week 15 Red Zone Efficiency
5 trips, 3 TDs, 2 FGs
Week 16 Red Zone Efficiency
3 trips, 1 TD, 2 FGs
2009 Cumulative Red Zone Efficiency:
50 Trips; 24 TDs; 20 FGs; 1 missed FG, 5 turnovers...48.0 % TD efficiency (+0.4%), 88.0 % scoring efficiency (+2.3 %)
Not surprisingly, the Steelers have won consecutive games in which they performed pretty well in the red zone. Against the Packers, they were outstanding converting on their opportunities to put points on the board and pressure on the Packers. Against Baltimore, they were not too shabby either. One of those two trips that resulted in a FG was really just a 4th down FG attempt by Jeff Reed from the Ravens 20 yard line.
Anyway, for the Steelers to wrap up at worst their third straight season with a winning record, they'll need to do more of the same this coming weekend at Miami. I think they will do just that. That should make for a very interesting day of scoreboard watching for us.
Can't wait. Go Steelers!