The score is 17-13 in the beginning of the fourth quarter. The Los Angeles Chargers have the opportunity to put the game away. It’s 3rd-and-6 at the Tennessee Titans’ 10-yard line.
Philip Rivers drops back and Keenan Allen breaks away from the corner andddddd… Rivers throws to a covered Mike Williams for an incomplete pass. Luckily the Chargers were able to continue and win the game, but tempers flared on the sideline after that drive and words were exchanged, but was Allen right or wrong for being upset?
Without a doubt, Allen is the best Chargers receiver that is on the roster, but he has gotten off to a rather slow start. He has not surpassed 100 yards receiving since Week 1. But how much can we put that on Allen? Through seven weeks, there are 20 more receivers that are averaging more targets than Allen.
Allen has been averaging eight targets through seven weeks. I know for a fact that there are not 20 receivers in the league that are better than Allen at what he does. With Hunter Henry out of action, it was expected that Allen was going to receive a larger workload, but that hasn’t been the case. I believe the reason Allen is not having the breakout season everyone was projecting him to have is due to play calling.
By no means am I blaming any of this on Rivers because he has been playing his best football up to date. Rivers looks like an MVP candidate as of late and is just not being shown the same love as Patrick Mahomes or Drew Brees.
Rivers has been letting his playmakers do all the work and the coaching staff have had one goal in mind, GET THE RUNNING BACKS INVOLVED.
Melvin Gordon has been right behind Allen with averaging seven targets per game. With that being said, Gordon has been playing lights out this season looking like one of the league’s best backs, adding a new wrinkle to his game… receiving out of the backfield.
He has become an all-around back at the expense of Allen. Allen is receiving the opposing teams best corner, leaving players like Tyrell Williams and Mike Williams to have easier matchups which includes having breakout games such as they have the last two weeks.
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Even though he has been drawing the opposing team’s best corner, Allen has still been beating them with his smooth route running and exceptional hands. It was only a matter of time until Allen got frustrated.
Being the best receiver on the team, being one of the more exceptional run blockers, and being a great team player to sacrifice his star potential for the team, what more can you ask for from Allen? He is the most under-appreciated, undervalued and unselfish star in the NFL because he is a player that wants to win, but he knows that sometimes for his team to win he will have to carry them to victory.
Allen did have an outburst, but he was doing it for the love of the game, he wanted to ensure that his team would win, not because he wants to be a ball hog.
Allen is the definition of what it means to be a Los Angeles Charger.