The New Orleans Saints face the Houston Texans looking to build off of their Week 5 performance. One of the biggest improvements in that game was their ability to score in the red zone. In possessions that reached the New England Patriots’ 20-yard line, the Saints finished with three touchdowns and one field goal. Continuing that trend is key to the Saints victory this week.
Red zone efficiency hasn’t been strong for either team. The Saints have scored touchdowns on 44% of their trips inside the 20, a number that increased 19% due to last week’s performance. The Texans have been even worse. They have scored touchdowns on only 35% of their red zone opportunities.
These numbers become extremely important because each team’s defense is stingy. New Orleans has the fifth-best scoring defense and the Texans have the 11th-ranked scoring defense. This is why scoring touchdowns when given the chance is important. Texans safety Jalen Pitre intercepted a pass against the Atlanta Falcons in the red zone last week to take points off the board. The team that wins the red zone battle will have a big advantage. Pete Carmichael must put Derek Carr and Alvin Kamara in the best position to put points on the board.
