By Eddie Kayyal
defence sports reporter
For a talented young wide receiver you would think you get the hint when they make a couple of key mistakes.But it seems as if 24-year-old Keenan Allen hasn’t. Allen, who is widely regarded as the best receiver in the National Football League (NFL), has now been on the field for one full season and his errors for the Chargers have not been limited to drops. In fact, the former Cal and Arizona State youngster has repeatedly slipped for crucial errors during his two-year career. I did have my moments this year and as I said to myself, ‘I’m a young player, I’ll have some bad games in my career.’ We’re trying to find some plays that don’t translate that he was down there
Keenan Allen “They did that a couple of times to me, where I kind of coughed the ball up,” Allen explained. “All of that stuff I’ve learned from.” Allen finished the season with 284 receptions for 3,655 yards and 17 touchdowns – a steady and effective start to his career. Unfortunately, two dropped balls proved fatal to the Chargers’ hopes of making the play-offs. They limped to the end of the season with an 8-8 record. “I did have my moments this year and as I said to myself, ‘I’m a young player, I’ll have some bad games in my career’,” he explained. “We’re trying to find some plays that don’t translate that he was down there.” Still, while such errors are to be expected from a rookie wide receiver, the Chargers are banking on Allen cementing himself as a key part of their plans. On Friday, the Chargers agreed to a four-year contract extension worth up to $55m (£37.9m) with the wide receiver. For someone in his first full NFL season, Allen’s form was good enough to earn a Pro Bowl berth in each of his first two years. And he gave a typically all-action performance as the Chargers beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-13 in the play-offs. Keenan Allen only signed a two-year extension in November to try and retain his place in the team “I got off to a slow start,” he said. “I went into the Indianapolis game with a chip on my shoulder and my goal was to be more physical and play more aggressively. After the first series I really felt like we clicked and we played well.” Allen, who is still a project in terms of his mechanics, is optimistic about his prospects of making the team for next season. “I’m going to continue to work hard and hopefully we can get things right as an offence and everyone will be on the same page and just start running some plays like this,” he said. “Hopefully, I can make the play-offs next year and lead the team to a Super Bowl.”
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