Why coaches love 'craftsman' Allen over NFL showmen

NFL 2025 season: Week six

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Another NFL grounds fell connected Sunday arsenic Keenan Allen reached 1,000 receptions.

Only 16 players person passed that figure, galore of them bigger names than Allen, but he is now nan fastest to scope 1,000 catches.

The grounds had stood since 2006, erstwhile erstwhile Indianapolis Colts receiver Marvin Harrison reached nan milestone successful 167 games. Allen sewage location successful 159.

The 33-year-old is playing successful his 13th play - each but 1 pinch nan Los Angeles Chargers - and has ne'er been considered an NFL superstar.

But coach Phil McGeoghan and expert Phoebe Schecter explicate why each coach wants an Allen and why they judge he is simply a early Hall of Famer.

Allen was selected by nan Chargers - past based successful San Diego - successful nan 3rd information of nan 2013 draft, but he has outlasted galore of nan wide receivers that were drafted aft him.

"This grounds fundamentally speaks to his consistency and his availability," said McGeoghan, who was nan Chargers' wide receivers coach from 2018-2020.

"But his intelligence and his sophistication are what has allowed him to drawback that number of passes complete time. He's awesome connected 3rd down, he's 1 of nan champion concatenation movers successful nan history of nan game."

Allen presently has 11,563 receiving yards - 5th among existent players, down DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Evans, Travis Kelce and Davante Adams.

Along pinch Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs, they are nan six existent players to person claimed much receiving touchdowns than Allen (69).

Schecter said that for him to scope 1,000 receptions earlier them "shows really reliable a target he is for his quarterbacks", yet he has a smaller floor plan than his peers listed supra and is not lauded by fans for being a "big-time, flashy receiver".

But McGeoghan said that Allen is "the astir heralded feline that I've ever coached erstwhile it comes to nan manufacture professionals".

He added: "I would opportunity that wrong nan industry, erstwhile I spell to speak astatine clinics and there's thing but coaches successful there, each nan group want to talk astir is Keenan and his way craft, his expertise to abstracted [from defenders], his knowing of zones, his merchandise astatine nan statement of scrimmage. He's conscionable truthful refined and specified a craftsman of nan receiver position."

McGeoghan has besides been wide receivers coach astatine nan Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, and coincidentally interviewed Schecter earlier she interned pinch nan Bills successful 2017.

Having 'good hands' is seen arsenic an basal property for a receiver, which McGeoghan said "starts pinch having oculus discipline".

"You're looking astatine nan shot each nan measurement into nan frame, and past you're watching it into nan tuck arsenic good erstwhile you're successful practice, truthful that successful a game, you're going to person nan ball, look astatine nan tuck really quickly, and past get upfield northbound and south.

"The 2nd constituent is courageousness because you're going to get drilled [after receiving nan ball]. There's going to beryllium a collision, truthful you request to person attraction to execute that basal of watching nan shot into nan tuck. It requires a awesome magnitude of courage."

Kansas City Chiefs tight extremity Kelce (1,026) is nan only progressive subordinate pinch much catches than Allen (1,003), pinch Hopkins (991) and Adams (979) not acold behind.

"[Kelce and Allen] person akin skillsets, successful position of reliability for your quarterback, doing each those small details," said Schecter.

"You know, return that snapshot erstwhile you drawback nan football, it's image perfect. And past it's clip connected task. How galore times are you catching footballs, putting successful each that elaborate work?

"It's not ever fun, but it becomes portion of who you are truthful that successful nan moment, you travel up clutch for your team."

Hopkins, Adams and Evans person already played much games than Allen, while Diggs and Hill would request singular runs complete their adjacent 10-14 games to hit nan record.

So who other could perchance scope 1,000 receptions faster than Allen?

"You look astatine nan receivers retired location and I do consciousness location are immoderate who tin do it, but again, it's astir really patient you tin enactment and really consistent," said Schecter.

"Are they going to stay patient capable to beryllium capable to support chipping distant towards that record?"

Justin Jefferson and Puka Nacua are 2 wide receivers who person made flying starts to their NFL careers pinch nan Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams, respectively.

"I would opportunity it'd beryllium Justin Jefferson, but that's evidently backmost dependent, it's connected them being capable to get him nan football," said McGeoghan.

"And past Puka Nacua, benignant of a acheronian horse, if Matthew [Stafford] retires and they get nan correct backmost successful 3 aliases 4 years, Puka Nacua could beryllium a feline to watch for that grounds too."

Jefferson presently has 524 catches from 82 games truthful moreover if he maintained that complaint and stayed injury-free, it would return nan 26-year-old different 4 seasons.

Nacua has 236 from 33 truthful it would return nan 24-year-old six seasons, by which clip McGeoghan hopes Allen will beryllium successful nan Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"Both those guys will still beryllium playing 5 years aft Keenan retires and we'll beryllium successful Canton, Ohio, celebrating his induction pinch a golden jacket," added Allen's erstwhile coach.

"This record, because of who he passed, Marvin Harrison, who is rightfully successful nan Hall of Fame. It benignant of puts Keenan correct successful that discussion.

"Like, this is simply a Hall of Fame calibre guy. I emotion his humility, but I cognize that will matter to him and his family."