Breven Honda
This week, a west coast rivalry features two star wide receivers when the Los Angeles Chargers host the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium Sunday afternoon.
The Chargers and the Raiders will be meeting for the 127th time as the Raiders hold the series lead at 67-57-2.
Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said these AFC West matchups are always critical to a season if a squad wants to play into late January and February.
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“Your division is the most important thing in your ability to make the playoffs and ultimately become a Super Bowl Champion,” Staley said Wednesday. “You have to play those teams six times a year and you understand that these traditions go back a long way. There’s a lot of pride in each franchise and there’s going to be a lot of energy in the stadium. You know each other a lot better.”
Leading the way in the receiving game for both teams this year are Los Angeles Chargers’ Keenan Allen and Las Vegas Raiders’ Davante Adams, respectively. Both have been fighting through small injuries but have found ways to remain on the field and catching the ball, even in difficult situations.
Through three games:
- Keenan Allen: 32 receptions (NFL lead), 39 targets, 402 yards, 12.6 yards per reception, 69.2% receiving success rate, 2 touchdowns
- Davante Adams: 25 receptions, 37 targets, 322 yards 12.9 yards per reception, 64.9% receiving success rate, 3 touchdowns
Both players have continued to excel in leading roles as the two have big contributors this season.
Last week alone showed that.
Allen recorded 18 receptions on 20 targets for 215 yards while also throwing a 49-yard touchdown pass to fellow wide receiver Mike Williams in a 28-24 Los Angeles Chargers victory on the road in Minnesota.
On Sunday Night Football, Adams caught 13 passes, also on 20 targets, for 172 yards and two touchdowns.
It has been a great start as credit goes to their quarterbacks, Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert and Las Vegas’ Jimmy Garoppolo, respectively, for finding them routinely.
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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen has had a strong start to 2023
This season, Keenan Allen has been the hot hand on the Chargers’ offense and will be for the remainder of the season with the news of Mike Williams’ torn ACL injury.
According to Pro Football Focus, Allen has 39 targets without a single drop. In addition, the five-time Pro Bowler made NFL history with his 14th game recording 11 or more receptions in a game, surpassing Andre Johnson when he did it 13 times during his 14-year career.
Allen only trails Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nucua by three targets for the NFL lead.
Staley understands the impact Allen brings to this offense, especially with the execution he had in the win, recording 264 total yards.
“When your best player plays like that in a big game, it gives you and chance,” Staley said of Allen after Sunday’s 28-24 victory over Minnesota.
That goes for any top receiver in the game as Allen’s performance comes after he put up two touchdowns on 111 yards in Week 2 at Tennessee.
The statistics also reflect in favor of Allen in fantasy football.
Among wide receivers in PPR scoring, Allen is the top receiver at 90.8 points and leads Miami’s Tyreek Hill by 0.6 points with Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson 14 points back.
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Las Vegas Raiders’ Davante Adams continuing to play at an All-Pro level
Raiders wide receiver Adams is currently one spot behind Jefferson, trailing the reigning Offensive Player of the Year by 1.6 PPR points, good for fourth best among pass catchers.
No matter who is quarterback has been, now the fourth quarterback in the last three seasons, Adams always finds a way to get open and secure the ball in his perimeter.
Allen and Adams were the top two fantasy receivers last week. The Chargers’ wide receiver accumulated 45.46 points and Adams recorded 42.2 points.
Adams caught a touchdown from 31 yards out on fourth-and-1 to get the Raiders on the board followed by a one-yard touchdown catch on a spin route to get open in the end zone.
In addition to Adams’ Week 3 performance, he caught the Raiders’ lone touchdown in a 38-10 road loss in Buffalo after catching six passes for 66 yards on nine targets in a 17-16 win to start the season in Denver.
Adams, who received three All-Pros during his time in Green Bay, has been in the limelight not only his play, but also his perspective of the team as a leader.
Although he scored two touchdowns in the team’s 23-18 loss, he said the team has to start getting more wins heading into October.
“I don’t want to act like it’s all crazy, it’s Week 3. But I don’t have time to wait around,” Adams said after the Week 3 loss.
Adams, who has the experience of being on a playoff team, understands what it takes to pay deep into the postseason, having been to as far as the NFC Championship in 2016.
The leadership both players provide goes a long way to their teams both on and off the gridiron as they get ready to face each other on Sunday as kickoff begins at 1:05 on CBS.
