Keenan Allen: Second-year slump?
They’re cool now, Philip Rivers and Keenan Allen, but things got a bit frosty this past 72-degree Sunday.
In the first quarter of the Chargers’ 13-6 win over the Raiders, Allen didn’t cut when he was supposed to on a failed third-down route.
On the sideline after the play, Rivers laid into the second-year receiver, sharply communicating his frustration over the miscommunication. Simply put: Allen wasn’t where he was expected to be...which could sum up his season to this point.
This isn’t to say that Keenan has made a habit of botching routes or assignments. He’s a savvy sophomore whose understanding of football has fueled his success every bit as much as his skill set.
But after a rookie season that hinted at future stardom, his numbers have fallen short of second-year projections. And we’re not just talking about fans’ projections -- we’re talking about Allen’s, too.
Asked Wednesday how he thought he would follow last year’s 71-catch, 1,046-yard, eight-TD haul, Keenan said he figured he would equal it or surpass it. Considering he’s at 55 receptions for 537 yards and one TD through 10 games, such a goal is looking more and more farfetched.
Yes, there are an array of factors -- none of which have to do with his ability -- that could be affecting his production, and we’ll delve into those later. But regardless of that, there’s a still a part of Keenan who’s itching to improve on last year’s resume.
“I still have opportunities,” Allen said. “I still have a chance.
One prime factor in Allen’s numbers dip is Malcom Floyd’s return to the lineup. The 33-year-old missed 14 games last season due to neck injury, but has established himself as Rivers’ favorite deep target this year.
You can look at Keenan’s 9.8 yards per catch this year versus his 14.7 yards last year and say he’s regressed if you want to. But when a teammate of his is reeling in bomb after bomb, there’s only so much met left on Allen’s bone.
Also, as sexy as touchdown catches can be, they can inflate or undersell a wide receiver’s worth. Antonio Gates had four TD receptions through 16 games last year and has nine through 10 games this year.
The stats balance out. To paraphrase Rivers: A career is essentially one long season.
But this goes beyond the guys sharing Allen’s uniform. It’s got quite a bit to do with the guys in the other uniform, too.
Last year, when Keenan posted numbers that earned him runner-up in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race, he was a speck in opponents’ peripheral vision. This year, Rivers’ youngest target has a bull’s eye on his back.
Teams are aware of him. They’re ready for him. They’ll be damned if a 22-year-old is going to get the best of them again, and Allen is well aware.
“You’re not unseen,” Allen said. “You’re not coming into the game where people don’t really know what you’re capable of. That second year -- they pretty much know.”
Funny, this 2014 season may very well be remembered as the year of the rookie receiver. Whether its’ Mike Evans in Tampa, Kelvin Benjamin in Carolina, Sammy Watkins in Buffalo, Jordan Matthews in Philly or Brandin Cooks in New Orleans -- it seems that if a ball was thrown in the air, a first-year player likely caught it.
But is this phenomenon of omen of big things to come, or simply a byproduct of unfamiliarity?
We’ll see with them just like we’ll see with Keenan. We’ll see if they can maintain their pace just as Allen fights to keep his.
Truth is, if the Chargers are going to slip into the playoffs again, Allen’s numbers may very well have to resurge. The explosive plays that defined his rookie campaign might have to become fixtures of these final six games.
San Diego’s offense has had a bit of an identity crisis of late, and unless order is restored, this whole thing ends in Week 17. But if Allen gets back to his old self, this team will have new life.
