- The Ravens were clinical near the goal line: Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry powered the attack, but Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and others were equally effective.
- The Eagles' defense is back for more in 2025: After fueling the team's Super Bowl win last season, Philadelphia's defense will look to replicate its red-zone success in 2025.
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Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes
Top-Five Red-Zone Offenses
1. Baltimore Ravens (85.0)
Baltimore was efficient at every level in the red zone last season, ranking first in PFF passing (94.2) and receiving grades (77.6), and finishing second in PFF rushing grade (80.8).
Lamar Jackson completed 50 of 73 red-zone passes for 447 yards (fourth most) and 36 touchdowns (most) while tossing only two interceptions. He ranked second in big-time throws (nine) and passer rating (112.8) from the red zone. Jackson was one of two qualifying quarterbacks to finish the season without a turnover-worthy play in the red zone (Caleb Williams).
Baltimore leaned on its tight ends in the red-zone passing game, with Mark Andrews (32.6%) and Isaiah Likely (27.9%) leading the team in adjusted target rate. Andrews caught 13 of 16 targets for 121 yards and 11 touchdowns. He ranked in the top five among tight ends in red-zone yards, catches and PFF receiving grade (88.9), and he was the only tight end to record double-digit red-zone touchdowns last season.
Rashod Bateman was the Ravens' most targeted wideout (12) in the red zone, bringing in nine passes for 109 yards and eight touchdowns.
Derrick Henry graded out as the second-best red-zone rusher in the NFL last season (80.6), with 61 carries for 189 yards (both top-five marks). He tied for first among running backs in touchdowns (15) and missed tackles forced (16) in that part of the field.
2. Washington Commanders (75.5)
Washington jumped from 28th in red-zone PFF offense grade in 2023 (57.0) to second place in 2024 (75.5). The Commanders also ranked second in red-zone PFF passing (89.3) and receiving grades (71.5), while placing 11th in PFF rushing grade (69.5).
Jayden Daniels attempted the fifth-most red-zone passes last season (90), notching 54 completions for 355 yards and 22 touchdowns. He recorded six big-time throws (tied for third most) and only two turnover-worthy plays. Daniels also led the league with 11 red-zone scrambles, gaining 49 yards, five first downs and a touchdown on those plays. In all, Daniels ran for seven scores in the red zone, and Brian Robinson Jr. accounted for nine more.
Zach Ertz (30.3%) and Terry McLaurin (25.3%) led the team in adjusted target rate, combining for 31 red-zone catches in 2024. Ertz caught 16 passes for 104 yards and eight touchdowns, while McLaurin secured 15 passes for 129 yards and 11 touchdowns. McLaurin led all receivers in red-zone touchdowns and was the only pass catcher with double-digit red-zone scores in 2024.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (74.4)
Tampa Bay placed in the top 10 in nearly every red-zone metric last season, including the top five in PFF passing grade (79.4) and PFF run-blocking grade (68.8).
Baker Mayfield ranked fifth in red-zone completions (63) and passing yards (426), and second in passing touchdowns (31). He logged four big-time throws and three turnover-worthy plays across 86 red-zone attempts and generated the NFL’s highest red-zone passer rating (113.7).
Bucky Irving was the team’s highest-graded red-zone player (79.7). He rushed 42 times for 164 yards and eight touchdowns, pacing all rookie running backs in each category. Rachaad White added three touchdowns, rushing 21 times for 48 yards. They combined for 21 first downs.
Mike Evans (16), Cade Otton (16) and White (11) paced Tampa Bay in red-zone targets. Evans caught nine passes for 33 yards and eight touchdowns, earning a 70.2 red-zone PFF receiving grade. Otton tallied 10 catches and four touchdowns of his own, while White led the team with a 77.1 red-zone PFF receiving grade after securing each of his 11 targets for 78 yards (team high) and five touchdowns.
4. Green Bay Packers (73.0)
Green Bay ranked in the top three in PFF rushing (79.3) and pass-blocking grades (82.2) last season and placed seventh in PFF passing (75.0) and receiving grades (68.6).
Jordan Love finished the season as the fifth-best red-zone passer by PFF grading (75.7), completing 51 of 79 passes for 359 yards and 20 touchdowns. He ranked in the top 10 in red-zone attempts, passing yards and touchdowns.
Tucker Kraft and Dontayvion Wicks were Love’s most targeted red-zone players (14). Kraft led the team with an 80.6 red-zone PFF receiving grade, securing 12 passes for 100 yards and six touchdowns. Wicks added 11 targets for 89 yards and four touchdowns, and Romeo Doubs turned 10 targets into eight catches for 82 yards and three touchdowns. Those three combined for 21 first downs in the red zone.
Josh Jacobs led the Packers with 64 red-zone touches last season. He carried the ball 61 times for 155 yards and 15 touchdowns. The former Raider tied with Derrick Henry in red-zone touchdowns and missed tackles forced (16), and led the position in red-zone PFF rushing grade (80.7).
5. San Francisco 49ers (72.6)
San Francisco fielded the fifth-best red-zone attack last season, powered by their second-ranked PFF receiving grade (71.5) and seventh-ranked PFF run-blocking grade (68.1).
George Kittle was one of the best red-zone players last season, leading all tight ends with a 91.6 PFF overall grade. Kittle caught 18 of 19 targets for 135 yards, eight touchdowns and 13 first downs, all top-five marks. Ten of his targets came on conversion downs, and he secured six of seven contested targets.
San Francisco has the top red-zone passing attack over the past three seasons (74.2), with Kittle ranking as their best receiving threat (87.2).
Top-Five Red-Zone Defenses
1. Philadelphia Eagles (86.0)
Philadelphia ranked in the top three in every defensive category, earning 80.0-plus PFF grades in run defense (83.7) and coverage (81.4) to go along with a 77.6 PFF pass-rush grade.
Cooper DeJean led all defensive players with a 95.9 PFF run-defense grade in the red zone last season. Edge defender Nolan Smith also placed in the top 10 with a 90.5 PFF overall grade. DeJean recorded a run stop and forced fumble across 41 run stops, along with three solo tackles. Smith recorded three stops and a forced fumble across 56 snaps, finishing with four solo tackles.
Nakobe Dean was the Eagles' third-best run defender in the red zone (82.5). He made a team-high seven run stops and logged two tackles for loss or no gain. Dean also finished second on the team with eight tackles.
Milton Williams (87.3) and Jalen Carter (80.0) led the Eagles’ pass rush with 13 combined pressures. Williams tied for the team high in quarterback hurries (five) and generated the second-best pressure rate (13.5%).
Nolan Smith and Brandon Graham each recorded a 69.5 PFF pass-rush grade, tying for third best among the team. Smith generated a 13.8% pass-rush win rate across 58 snaps, recording a hit and three hurries. Graham led the team in win rate (21.9%) and pressure rate (15.6%), recording a hit and two hurries across 32 pass-rush snaps.
Nakobe Dean recorded the second-best red-zone PFF coverage grade in the league last season (90.8). He surrendered four catches for only 8 yards across five targets and picked off a pass.
DeJean finished with a 77.4 red-zone PFF coverage grade, the sixth-best mark among rookie cornerbacks. He allowed 10 catches with five first downs across 13 targets, but he held receivers to 64 total yards and did not give up a touchdown.
Zack Baun ranked right behind DeJean in grading (77.2). Baun surrendered only 19 yards in coverage across five catches.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (83.0)
Kansas City placed second in red-zone PFF pass-rush grade (80.4) and sixth in PFF coverage grade (78.2) last season.
Chris Jones ranked as the fourth-best red-zone pass rusher in the NFL by PFF grade (91.2) and led all interior linemen in total pressures (15) and pass-rush win rate (20.9%). He also finished in the top 10 in pressure rate (16.5%).
Tershawn Wharton (78.2 PFF pass-rush grade) led the position with five sacks and finished just behind Jones in pressure rate (15.6%). George Karlaftis (77.8 PFF pass-rush grade) paced all edge rushers with 95 pass-rush snaps in the red zone. He logged 17 pressures (most) and ranked in the top five in sacks (three), hits (six) and hurries (eight).
Justin Reid graded out as the NFL's third-best coverage safety in the red zone (82.9), surrendering just 33 yards across nine catches. Two of those grabs went for touchdowns, but he also recorded a pick and nine solo tackles.
Trent McDuffie (75.4 PFF coverage grade) allowed seven catches for 36 yards and three touchdowns in the red zone but also finished among the top 10 cornerbacks in forced incompletions (four).
Nick Bolton ranked 10th among linebackers in red-zone PFF coverage grade (75.0), letting up six catches for 38 yards across eight targets. He allowed a touchdown but also forced two incompletions.
3. Chicago Bears (79.6)
The Bears went from the second-worst red-zone defense in 2023 (59.6) to the third-best last season (79.6). They improved in every metric, with their most impressive leap coming in coverage, where they jumped from a 62.3 PFF grade in 2023 to a second-ranked 82.0 figure in 2024.
Tyrique Stevenson ranked fourth among cornerbacks in red-zone PFF coverage grade (83.4) after allowing five catches across 13 targets for 38 yards. Three of those went for touchdowns, but he also dropped an interception and broke up three other passes.
Tremaine Edmunds (75.2 PFF coverage grade) surrendered three catches across eight targets for 32 yards. He picked off a pass and forced two incompletions, allowing only a 10.4 NFL passer rating in the red zone to rank second among all defenders.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (79.5)
Pittsburgh's 90.2 PFF pass-rush grade in the red zone last season ranked first in the NFL, and the defense also placed sixth in run defense (75.7).
Edge defender T.J. Watt topped his position in red-zone PFF pass-rush (93.2) and run-defense grades (91.3). He recorded nine pressures, with three sacks and a batted pass. He also finished seventh in pass-rush win rate (20.8%) and tied for team highs in run stops (six) and tackles for loss or no gain (four) against the run.
Cameron Heyward ranked in the top five among interior defenders last season in red-zone quarterback hurries (eight), total pressures (11) and PFF pass-rush grade (80.5). He generated pressure at a 14.5% clip and recorded a 15.8% pass-rush win rate.
Nick Herbig (78.7 PFF pass-rush grade) notched the fourth-best red-zone pressure rate among edge defenders (21.9%), recording seven pressures across 32 pass-rush snaps.
Elandon Roberts led all linebackers with a 92.0 red-zone PFF run-defense grade. He recorded six run stops, four tackles for loss or no gain and a forced fumble.
Alex Highsmith ranked fifth among edge defenders in red-zone PFF run-defense (80.3) after logging five tackles, two stops and a tackle for loss or no gain across 30 run snaps.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (79.1)
Jacksonville ranked fifth in red-zone PFF run-defense (78.0) and coverage grades (79.3), helping them earn a 79.1 red-zone PFF defensive grade.
Devin Lloyd posted the third-best red-zone PFF run-defense grade among linebackers (90.8), with three tackles, three assisted tackles, two stops and a forced fumble across 59 run snaps.
Jeremiah Ledbetter ranked sixth among interior linemen in red-zone PFF run-defense grade (84.4) after making seven tackles and six stops across 42 run snaps. He tied for the league high in tackles for loss or no gain against the run (six).
Foyesade Oluokun earned an 88.6 PFF coverage grade in the red zone, placing him third among linebackers. He allowed all seven of his targets to be caught but let up only 30 yards and no touchdowns.
Darnell Savage earned a 76.3 red-zone PFF coverage grade, allowing two catches for 20 yards. While he surrendered a touchdown, he also picked off a pass and generated a 52.1 NFL passer rating when targeted (third best among safeties).
Montaric Brown posted a 74.0 PFF coverage grade across 69 coverage snaps. He allowed 13 yards across five catches. While two went for touchdowns, he also picked off a pass and forced two incompletions. He allowed a 56.3 NFL passer rating, tying for ninth best among red-zone cornerbacks.
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