the red zone

noun

American football
: the area of the field that is inside an opponent's 20-yard line

Examples of the red zone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And while the final drive was most consequential, there were moments of struggle too, particularly on the Panthers’ first trip to the red zone — which resulted in three uninspired runs into the line and a hurried throw that fell incomplete. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2024 With San Francisco just outside of the red zone, Shanahan must’ve known that Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo would be particularly aggressive. Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024 On the first play of the drive, Dan Skipper checked in as an eligible receiver, receiving large cheers from the angry Lions fans remembering the end of the game last week, and the Lions started with a 34-yard completion to Amon-Ra St. Brown to reach the red zone. Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press, 7 Jan. 2024 Another big play was when Patrick Mahomes found Justin Watson for a 25-yard gain to get them near the red zone. Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024 That’s the Ravens, who kept the Texans’ terrific rookie, C.J. Stroud, out of the red zone and without an offensive touchdown despite finishing with zero sacks or takeaways. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2024 In that game, the offense reached the red zone one time and settled for a field goal. Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2024 Such are the respective QB situations that Harbaugh starts this season near the red zone, while Payton stands backed up against his own end zone. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 The most excitement in the first half came when a frustrated Kelce bumped Reid on the sideline, knocking the Chiefs’ 65-year-old coach a few steps back after teammate Isiah Pacheco fumbled inside the red zone during the second quarter. Rob Maaddi, Twin Cities, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the red zone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near the red zone

Cite this Entry

“The red zone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20red%20zone. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.

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