Keenan Allen is Still Really Good
In Week 8 of the 2020 NFL season, 15 Cal Bears took the field again for thirteen different teams. Keenan Allen had another good game, going up to 557 receptions over his career, putting him first all-time in receptions for a receiver’s first 93 games. When healthy, he has shown to be one of the most reliable receivers in the league.
Keenan Allen
Getting paid $80 million over the next four years means two things for Keenan Allen. 1) It makes him the second-highest paid wide receiver in the NFL. 2) He has high expectations. He’s been meeting them this year with stellar play. Through the seven weeks before Sunday, Pro Football Focus had him ranked as the fourth highest-rated receiver in the league. On Sunday, he recorded nine receptions on 11 targets for 67 yards and a touchdown against the Broncos.
Allen is a target hog and currently ranks first in the NFL in targets per game and second in receptions per game (for players who have played at least 4 games). He’s also second in most targets without a drop at 47. His quarterback loves to throw to him, and who wouldn’t when you have an elite-route runner with hands and after-the-catch exceptionalism.
The problem with guarding Allen is that he’s a mismatch in either man or zone. Even though his speed isn’t that great (4.71 40), his feet are good enough to get him space and his size is big enough to seperate from the DB. Add great catching ability to that and you’ve got a problem on your hands (no pun intended). In the following plays, Allen show’s his ability to shred man coverage.
As reliable as Allen is in man coverage, he excels in zone, where he has been very difficult to cover in 2020. In the following play, Allen uses his speed to get past the middle linebacker, then doesn’t show his hands to catch the football until the ball is midway through the air so that the ILB doesn’t know where to cover the pass. This play required patience, vision, and catching-ability.
Allen pretty much brings the whole-package: size, route-running, hands, and vision. He’s on pace for over 1,250 receiving yards, which would be the second most in his career after getting 1,393 in 2017. He’ll look to dominate against the Raiders on Sunday.
Aaron Rodgers
After throwing four touchdowns in a win last week, Rodgers came out with 291 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 22-28 loss to the Vikings. He started strong, passing for a 5-yard TD on the first drive to Davante Adams. On the next drive, Rodgers would connect again to the Palo Alto native for a 1-yard score.
Kept off the field by a run-heavy Vikings defense, Rodgers wouldn’t see the field again until the second half. In the third quarter, the Vikings shut down the Packers on two consecutive drives. Rodgers wouldn’t get the ball again until the end of the 4th.
Down by 14 points in the fourth quarter, Rodgers would get his team another eight points, but with only 47 seconds left on the next drive, Rodgers barely had enough time to get the needed touchdown, fumbling it away with 11 seconds left.
Rodgers played very well in this game, but was limited by the Vikings offense which scored on four consecutive drives and killed over half of the the game-clock. Their long, meticulous drives gave them posession advantage despite being outgained in total yards. The Vikings showed that if you keep Aaron Rodgers off the field, winning is attainable.
Jared Goff
Goff completed 35 of 61 passes for 355 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in a 17-28 loss to the Dolphins. He also lost two fumbles. To say the least, he had a nightmarish afternoon against an inspired Dolphins defense.
On the season, Goff has thirteen touchdowns and six interceptions. The Rams are 5-3. He’ll look to bounce back next week against a weak Seahawks defense.
Cameron Jordan
Jordan recorded a sack and three tackles (two solo, one ast) in a 26-23 win over the Bears. Jordan’s sack was encouraging, but his season as a whole has been largely dissapointing. After piling up three consecutive double-digit sack seasons, Jordan has just 2.5 heading into a Week 9 date with Tampa Bay.
Marvin Jones Jr
Jones came out strong on Sunday, catching three out of seven targets for 39 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-41 loss to the Colts. With the Lions’ top wide reciever Kenny Golladay out, Jones performed as the next man up. In the game, he made two contentious touchdown grabs showing solid separation and hands.
With Golladay’s injury looking serious, Jones will serve as the Lions’ top receiver next week against the Vikings. At age 30 and in a contract year, now is the time for him to make a statement.