Chargers receiver Keenan Allen may have coined his own nickname.
“Leroy Decoy,” he said with a smile after Sunday’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Why is a guy who just racked up career highs with 10 catches and 135 receiving yards calling himself the decoy? It’s probably because everyone around him is making even bigger plays.
There’s Eddie Royal and his four touchdowns in the last two games. Then you have Malcolm Floyd, who has a pair of TD grabs as he continues resurgence in his 10th year with the team. And don’t forget Antonio Gates almost single-handedly beating the Seattle Seahawks with his trio of scores.
Meanwhile, Allen leads the team with 22 catches on 29 targets for 244 yards. But zero of quarterback Philip Rivers’ touchdown passes has gone his way.
It’s hard out here for a former Rookie of the Year, but Allen isn’t complaining.
“I’ll be that guy all day if we keep winning,” he said.
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You won’t find any of them among the leaders in any of the league’s top receiving categories this year. At the same time, you’d be hard pressed to find a more productive – and deeper – group of receivers anywhere in the league than the Chargers have.
“During the week you try to make all the plays work,” Royal said. “And when you draw them up, everyone is scoring a touchdown. So you just never really know who’s going to get it.”
Chargers coach Mike McCoy said there’s no animosity among a group who strives to each other better.
“I think we’ve got a very unselfish bunch of guys,” he said. “I think it’s the whole group. Philip’s got plenty of weapons to go to. You get into third down situations and pick your poison. If you’re going to take one thing away, you gotta cover another guy.”
McCoy’s point can be illustrated in both of Royal’s scores on Sunday. Each was on a big play – 43 and 47 yards – that came after Rivers looked at different receivers on each drive.
“We started getting first downs, got in a rhythm,” Rivers said. “They know to just keep going.”
Another seasoned veteran on the receiving corps, Royal knows touchdowns can be fleeting. So he’s not putting too much stock in his impressive run.
“It happened to be me the last two weeks,” he said. “So next week you don’t know which guy it is, just execute each play the right way and we’ll see.”
Allen credits a solid week of practice for his success on Sunday. And he hasn’t offense to his lack of end zone looks … yet.
“Phil likes to spread the ball around,” he said. “We’re definitely unselfish. I don’t really take it to heart when I don’t get in the end zone. As long as we’re winning games.”
Royal says it will only be a matter of time.
“We’re gonna try to get him in the end zone,” he said. “He’s a playmaker out there. It’s gonna happen sooner or later. And he’s playing great football right now. I’m glad he’s on our team.”
