Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen has been all over the place.
A member of the 2013 NFL All-Rookie team. A three-time Pro Bowler. A four-time thousand-yarder. The 2017 NFL Associated Press Comeback Player-of-the-Year. He’s filling up his trophy case.
Dancing in More Ways Than One Cross-Country
With 524 receptions, 6,405 yards and 34 touchdowns in his career, his 2019 season was one of his best in the NFL. Last year he caught one-fifth of his career receptions (104) and had 1,199 yards and six scores.
At 6-feet 2-inches and 211 pounds, the 28-year-old is considered by some to be the NFL’s most unappreciated star and even an overlooked elite player. From Northern Guilford High School in North Carolina to the University of California, Allen has had quite the quiet career for someone of his caliber.
Rocky Rivers Ahead
For his entire career, Allen has had quarterback Philip Rivers and he has never missed a game in Allen’s career. Unfortunately for Allen, he must come into his own this upcoming season, as Rivers has made his way to Indianapolis through free agency and is now a Colt. L.A. now had Tyrod Taylor at the helm with first-round draft pick Justin Herbert in the shadows.
Taylor isn’t exactly known for winning, but also isn’t a bad quarterback, though it is safe to say his strength is his ability to run the ball. This upcoming season will determine whether Allen is really elite or not, if he can keep up his numbers from the past few seasons and make adjustments.
Dolphins Lead All-Time Series Against Chargers
The Miami Dolphins will host the Chargers on Oct. 25th for a 1 p.m. eastern game in week seven. These two teams have met a total of 34 times in the past, including playoff games, and the Dolphins currently have the upper hand with 18 wins and taking 11 out of the last 15. The last time these two teams met was Sept. 29th of last year, with the Chargers handing the Dolphins a 30-10 loss.
As a personal rivalry between the two teams, this game may mean more to L.A. seeing as the teams are so close to even in their head-to-head record. On a year-to-year basis, it could however mean more for the Dolphins because they’re in the middle of a rebuild. When football is football, each game means a lot to both teams, so we’ll likely see a well played game regardless.
Allen, Parker Represent Team in Different Ways
Allen’s matchup for the game will be against the Dolphins’ star and No. 1 receiver DeVante Parker. Parker’s career stats are about half of Allen’s with 235 receptions, 3,419 yards and 18 TDs.
Half of his career TDs all came last season (nine), that was by far the best of his career. He had no more than four scores in any of his previous four seasons. Additionally, he added 72 receptions for 1,202 yards.
Part of the reason Allen’s career numbers are so much better than Parker’s are because 2019 was Parker’s first full season due to injuries. Parker was also not the Dolphins’ primary receiver until this last season, but filled the position once Jarvis Landry shipped himself to the Cleveland Browns.
2019 Saw Both Parker, Allen Nearly Identical
As for last season, Allen had 32 more receptions than Parker, but Parker had three more yards and three more TDs than Allen. Their roles on their respective teams have been very different, but they will still enter the matchup as their team’s go-to guys.
This game could go in any direction, especially because the Dolphins still do not have any evidence of a consistent starting QB. L.A. could also be in that boat even if it sticks with Taylor in week seven or ends up having Herbert start to begin the year. This game will come down to the performances of each of these receivers and their respective defenses most likely.
– Christian Chappell is a Sports Contributor for Full Press Coverage Miami Dolphins. Like and follow on Follow @cmoneypc Follow @FPC_Dolphins and Facebook.
