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COSTA MESA — Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen admitted successful grooming campy that helium relied connected his athleticism to get by arsenic a rookie successful the NFL 9 years ago.
Although Allen had a memorable archetypal twelvemonth with 1,046 receiving yards, helium knew helium had plentifulness to larn if helium wanted to make into the accordant playmaker helium is contiguous arsenic a four-time Pro Bowler.
“I wasn’t a receiver,” Allen said successful August. “I conscionable happened to beryllium bully astatine being a receiver.”
Allen realized helium needed to amended connected the intelligence aspects of being a wide receiver due to the fact that NFL antiaircraft backs were yet going to decipher his limitations.
“Knowledge, repetition and seeing things,” Allen said astir the proposal helium shares to young receivers. “DBs (defensive backs) volition get smarter. DBs volition larn however to play their leverage better. You person to person answers to everything and you’ll get it with repetition and movie study.”
Eagles manager Nick Sirianni was with Allen erstwhile helium turned into a film-room “nerd” and helped him make into 1 of the champion wide receivers successful the NFL. Sirianni was an adjunct violative manager with the Chargers from 2013 to 2017 – Allen’s archetypal 5 seasons successful the NFL.
“I deliberation he’s benignant of a wide receiver nerd, kinda similar me,” Sirianni told Chargers reporters successful a league telephone this week. “I cognize Keenan Allen and the connection ‘nerd’ ne'er spell unneurotic due to the fact that he’s a chill dude. But the mode we benignant of went astir reasoning astir however to onslaught a antiaircraft back, I deliberation helium would archer you that helium learned immoderate worldly from me, and I definite arsenic heck learned a batch from him.”
Sirianni helped mold Allen into a route-running technician, but present he’s tasked with stopping him Sunday erstwhile his Eagles big the Chargers astatine Lincoln Financial Field.
Sirianni, 40, rapidly roseate done the ranks aft joining the Indianapolis Colts to beryllium their violative coordinator from 2018 to 2020. He credited erstwhile Chargers backmost Philip Rivers and Allen for helping him go an NFL caput coach.
“A batch of coaches are ever going to beryllium precise speedy to say, ‘Well, this coach, this manager and this manager developed me,’” Sirianni said. “What I’ve known astir large players is they tin make a bully manager arsenic well. I judge that 2 guys that person developed maine to beryllium the manager I americium contiguous are decidedly Philip Rivers and Keenan Allen. Just due to the fact that the mode they spell astir their business, the mode they spell astir the crippled of football.”
Sirianni coached Allen arsenic a rookie and present he’s coaching different promising rookie wide receiver successful Philadelphia. Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith was compared to Allen by draught experts earlier the Eagles selected him with the 10th wide pick.
Sirianni has already noticed the similarities betwixt Smith and a young Allen.
“Forget the information that helium (Allen) had 1,000 (receiving) yards his archetypal year,” Sirianni said. “The crushed helium had 1,000 yards, too the information that he’s a phenomenal player, is that helium was precise technically dependable arsenic a wide receiver aboriginal on. Some wide receivers, it takes them a small spot of clip to recognize the intricacies of the game. He’s conscionable astute and specified a pupil of the game. … I deliberation I spot immoderate of those things determination successful DeVonta. DeVonta knows however to onslaught guys successful his route.”
Sirianni said he’s ever rooting for Allen’s success, but helium won’t privation him luck earlier the crippled Sunday. The erstwhile Chargers’ wide receivers manager volition person his hands afloat with Allen, but helium has cornerback Darius Slay connected his side.
Slay and Allen had a memorable conflict successful 2019 erstwhile Slay played for the Detroit Lions. Allen recorded 8 receptions for 98 yards, but Slay got the amended extremity with a game-ending interception for the Lions’ 13-10 victory.
PALMER’S FIRST CAREER TD
Allen mentioned successful grooming campy that rookie wide receiver Josh Palmer is further on than helium was successful his archetypal twelvemonth due to the fact that Palmer entered the league knowing the value of movie study.
The results are starting to amusement aft Palmer recorded his archetypal vocation touchdown past week successful the 27-24 nonaccomplishment to the New England Patriots. Palmer jumped successful beforehand of 2 defenders to drawback the 24-yard touchdown and trimmed the Patriots’ pb to 3 points with 40 seconds left.
Palmer’s archetypal people arrived excessively late, but the Chargers are hoping the memorable play volition assistance him find consistency this season. The Chargers’ 2021 third-round prime has 7 catches for 82 yards and the touchdown successful 7 games this year.
“I consciousness similar I americium growing,” Palmer said. “I person guys similar Mike (Williams), JG (Jalen Guyton) and Keenan that are teaching maine a lot. The blueprint is close successful beforehand of me, I conscionable person to wage attraction to it. … There’s ever opportunities, that’s 1 happening we preach successful our receivers’ country – being acceptable for that moment.”
INJURY UPDATES
Chargers backmost Justin Herbert was a afloat subordinate astatine Thursday’s practice. He was listed arsenic constricted the time earlier due to the fact that of a close manus wounded helium sustained connected the last thrust against the Patriots past week.
Running backmost Justin Jackson (quadricep), information Alohi Gilman (ankle) and cornerbacks Michael Davis (hamstring) and Asante Samuel Jr. (concussion) didn’t signifier Thursday.
thursday’s #LACvsPHI wounded study pic.twitter.com/YYUOwfZEG6
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) November 4, 2021
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