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Defenses ‘aren’t stupid’ with Keenan Allen

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Keenan Allen is seven games into his second NFL season.

Imagine, for a moment, it is August.

The Chargers wide receiver is still in training camp. He hasn’t played a game since January. Guess the number of touchdowns he’d have at this point.

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“Right now? Coming off of last year? At least 10,” Allen said Tuesday with a laugh. “But no, something more than zero, for sure.”

Allen, while scoreless in seven games, hasn’t lacked for impact. Defenses have schemed against him differently in year two, an anticipated trend that’s presented opportunities elsewhere in the passing game. The effect for Allen is fewer statistical outbursts like the ones he had in Denver last season. The Chargers face the Broncos there Thursday night.

The third-round pick showed in 2013 what he could do.

At age 21, he became the third rookie since 2000 to surpass 1,000 receiving yards, totaling 71 catches for a team-high 1,046 yards and eight scores. He played at Sports Authority Field once in the regular season, a Thursday night in December, and again in January during the playoffs. Each time, he scored twice.

He leapt over a defender and into the end zone during the December win. In the other meeting, a loss, he helped rally the team from a 17-0 fourth-quarter hole with five catches, 123 yards and two scores in the final quarter alone.

That film of a dominant Allen was the last before a long offseason.

Defensive coaches had months to game plan for him. Allen and the Chargers aren’t surprised what came out of it.

“People, they aren’t stupid,” wide receivers coach Fred Graves said. “They’re not just going to let him run free. They’re going to take some things away.”

Allen has seen more press coverage this year.

That is partly why, despite a team-high 34 catches, he has a modest 354 yards. His average yards after the catch is down from 6 to 2.9.

“They’re pretty close to me after I catch the ball,” Allen said.

In Week 3, the Bills went to especially great lengths to contain him, occupying him with a cornerback underneath and safety over the top. Allen caught his two targets for 17 yards, both season lows.

Other, more complex coverages have been used at times, disguising and tilting attention his way, perhaps a linebacker in zone coverage to eliminate the curl area.

“I think Keenan’s doing a fine job,” Graves said. “He’s matured in a lot of ways. When I say matured, he’s understanding defenses and what they’re trying to take away, what our concepts are and what we’re trying to do. If you want to put a bunch of stats into it, maybe he’s not doing what people think. But I think he’s doing enough to win games for us.”

And the stats are telling.

Just look beyond Allen.

Wide receiver Malcom Floyd has a team-high 412 yards receiving. Tight end Antonio Gates, Allen, and wide receiver Eddie Royal are nine yards apart from each other, their totals 363, 354 and 345, respectively. This is a balanced attack, the ball spread around as the defense dictates.

The go-to receiver is the open one.

It just so happens that, to date, 15 of quarterback Philip Rivers’ 17 scores have come to Gates (seven), Royal (five) and Floyd. Not quite what Allen would have predicted, but he’s not complaining.

“It’ll come,” he said. “I’m pretty patient. Frustrated, for sure, but I’m pretty patient. I understand what’s going on with the offense, and we’re winning, so it’s not a big deal.”

“We still look at Keenan like a No. 1 wide receiver,” offensive coordinator Frank Reich said. “He’s hard to cover. He’s so elusive off the press coverage. He’s big and strong. He’s got great ball skills. ... He’s still going to get his share. I still think, when it’s all said and done, he’s going to have his share of big plays in this season. A chapter has yet to be written.”

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