LA Chargers: Six overreactions from Week 1 win over Bengals

Overreaction 6: Keenan Allen is not the number 1 receiver in this offense.

In Week 1, Keenan Allen appeared to be his typical, excellent self, yet he seemed somewhat forgotten in the offensive gameplan.

Allen was tied for second in receptions and a distant third in yards. Allen had four receptions for 37 yards, while two other pass-catchers had bigger days. Mike Williams was excellent despite coming in with a shoulder injury, catching four balls for 69 yards, and Hunter Henry paced the team in receptions and yards with five receptions and 73 yards.

While many of us expected an outstanding connection between Taylor and Allen, it seemed that Taylor looked in the way of Henry or Williams when he needed a big or important play.

So, is it safe to say that Keenan Allen is no longer the number 1 receiving option in the Chargers’ offense?

While that is certainly an overreaction, the degree to which it is might be more debatable than you may think.

Clearly, Allen is the most gifted receiver on the LAChargers roster. Anthony Lynn and co. will certainly look at the gameplan going into next week to make sure Allen stays involved.

Despite this, it is likely that the days of extreme preference for Allen over other targets may be over. Philip Rivers loved to consistently pepper his number one target with balls throughout the game and for good reason.

However, Tyrod Taylor has consistently preferred to get the ball to his tight ends over the middle in his career, and that seems to still be true based on the fact that Hunter Henry led the team in targets in Week 1.

While Allen is elite, and I fully expect him to lead the team in targets at the end of the 2020 season, the degree to which he leads the team in targets may be less than we imagined.

Verdict 6: Moderate overreaction