Freed from QB purgatory, Rams WR Allen Robinson can finally shine

Some receivers have all the luck, and some really don’t. Maybe you played with Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers most of your career, and things were laid out for you in a relative sense. On the other side of that equation, maybe you’re Andre Johnson, whose list of quarterbacks with the Houston Texans from 2003-2014 was hardly a Murderers’ Row, and Johnson still led the entire league in several receiving categories at his peak. When you can do that, and Matt Schaub was your best quarterback, you probably deserve to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

But no receiver of this era has been more snakebit at the quarterback position than Allen Robinson, and this goes back to his days at Penn State. There, his primary quarterbacks were Matt McGloin and Christian Hackenberg. Regardless, Robinson was excellent in his two seasons as a starter for the Nittany Lions, gaining 174 passes for 2,450 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2012-2013.

That got him selected by the Jaguars in the second round of the 2014 draft, and Robinson’s quarterback purgatory continued. From Blake Bortles and Chad Henne in four seasons with the Jaguars, to Mitch Trubisky, Chase Daniel, Nick Foles, Andy Dalton, and Justin Fields in four seasons with the Bears, Robinson has never had a quarterback throwing him the ball who could be said to play at an above-average level. Robinson has also had a crazy quilt of play-designers throughout his career — his last in the 2021 was Matt Nagy, which kind of says it all.

Now? Things are quite different for Robinson, who signed a three-year, $46.5 million contract with $30.25 million guaranteed with the Los Angeles Rams in March. Going from the Bears’ quarterback situation to Matthew Stafford, and from Nagy to Sean McVay is… well, we’ll have to throw some more RAM in our Situation Improvement Generator before we can accurately track what an upgrade this is.

Through training camp, Robinson has proven to be everything the Rams hoped he would be — a big (6-foot-2, 220-pound) target who can win in contested catch situations all day long.

This wasn’t bad, either.

“I think just being able to get him those targets,” McVay said on August 1, when asked what excited him about adding Robinson to the roster. “He can really run a bunch of different types of routes down there. You saw there was a great job. Matthew kind of working through a progression… big, strong physical guy working across the back of the end zone. You talk about big catch radius where it doesn’t even feel like he has to leave the ground to really be kind of right at that goalpost.”

Stafford agreed regarding Robinson’s ability to win when it counts, pointing to one particular pass.

“He was like 3A, maybe four, in the read progression on that play. Kind of a backside route and my eyes were at the one and two on the right side, and moved the post player just because I was reading it out. I was able to click back, guys up front did a great job giving me some time on that. He was racing across the back of the end zone, tried to put it in a nice high spot, nothing bad would happen up there. He went up and got it, great diving catch, strong hands. That’s what he’s about. That’s what’s going to help us put points on the board — making plays like that in the red zone.”

When you’ve already got a connection like this with your new quarterback, good things are bound to happen — as long as Stafford’s “Thrower’s Elbow” is okay over time.

But as McVay has said, Robinson is about more than just one route concept, or just beating guys up for touchdowns (though there’s nothing wrong with beating guys up for touchdowns). Let’s take a look, as much as we can given who’s been throwing him the ball before, at all the different ways in which Allen Robinson can make the Rams’ offense better.

Digging in the dirt.

(Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports)

The dig route — in which a receiver fakes a vertical concept and then runs a crosser over the middle — was a major part of the Rams’ passing offense in 2021. Per Sports Info Solutions, only the 49ers, Bengals, and Vikings had more attempts to receivers running dig routes than the Rams’ 50. Stafford threw all 50 of those passes, completing 26, for 345 yards, 283 air yards, two touchdowns, for interceptions, and a passer rating of 58.8, which ranked 19th among quarterbacks who had at least 25 attempts on that route.

Robinson, with his size, speed, and route acumen, should help a lot. As shown on this 28-yard catch against the Lions in Week 4, Robinson is adept at using the defender as a landmark, knowing when to adjust the route, and how to create openings.

Getting vertical with authority.

(Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports)

Last season, Robinson caught just four passes of 20 or more air yards for 114 yards and no touchdowns, but that was far more a product of the Bears’ bedraggled passing game than any limitations on his part. When he was given the opportunity to go deep and win, that’s when the size/speed/route thing kicked in again. Steelers cornerback Arthur Maulet, who found himself betwixt and between on this deep throw from Justin Fields in Week 9, wouldn’t need to be warned again about that.

“I just know what he’s good at,” Stafford recently said of Robinson. “So far, what I’ve seen is just about everything, which is a positive for us as a team. Being able to move him inside, outside, down the field, underneath, short area balls in the back of the zone, stuff like that. He’s done a really nice job.”

Expect more deep balls to come Robinson’s way in 2022 — both outside, and from the slot.

Beating guys up for touchdowns.

(Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports)

McVay and Stafford probably had to do a bit of projection when anticipating how Robinson could improve their red zone passing game — he was barely targeted last season from the opposing 10-yard line to the opposing one-yard line, which is one of hundreds of reasons the Bears’ 2021 offense should have been locked in a shed and set on fire.

Still, there’s this touchdown catch against the Bengals in Week 2 to help us understand just how well he can get and stay open in contested catch situations — especially when there’s no vertical escape, and everything is compressed. Robinson’s competitive temperament is such that he’s more inclined to make things happen, then to wait and wonder, “What happened?”

(Apologies in advance for the Soldier Field All-22).

Cooper Kupp led all NFL receivers last season with 22 red zone targets; the only other Rams receivers with double-digits in red zone targets were Van Jefferson and Tyler Higbee, each with 10. Based on the team’s giddiness regarding Robinson’s ability in this region of the field, he may usurp even Kupp as The Guy.

Getting on the same page.

(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

McVay recently explained how important it is for any receiver new to his system, no matter how gifted, to get connected with his quarterback on all the subtleties.

“I think the biggest thing is when you’re looking at certain routes that might have a couple different decision making elements at the top based on some of these routes where you have three way options sitting down, breaking in, breaking out. The indicators — them being on the same page and being able to really trust, [and] let things go with anticipation even if it’s not a clear defined route based on some of those different things that we’re doing. Those are the things that I really thought Matthew and Cooper showed elite rapport with one another.

“You’re starting to see that [with Stafford and Robinson]. And then just getting a feel for, ‘Okay, if I am covered, where do you like a throw based on the leverage of the DB  if it’s something down the field?’ Those are the things that as a coach, you give your players ownership and autonomy, and that’s what Matthew does a great job of. I really appreciate a lot of the dialogue that goes on in our absence, because it’s about their ownership.”

Stafford isn’t worried at all about building that connection.

“Yeah, it’s exciting,” he said. “Anytime we can add great players to this team, it’s a positive for us, no matter what position they play. Obviously, Allen has done a great job in this league for a long time in a couple different spots, with a bunch of different quarterbacks, putting up great numbers and playing at a high level. So, happy to have the opportunity to work with him. Probably the most pleasant surprise is just who he is as a person and how he goes about his business. I think you guys see that from afar too. Just the way he works, he fits right in, in that room. It’s a hardworking room. He’s a guy that fits that mold which is great.”

As for Robinson, he’s just stoked to finally be in an environment where his skills can be property utilized.

“I’m a player who I invite press [coverage], I enjoy it.” Robinson said in May. “Going against press coverage is something I’ve enjoyed since I’ve stepped foot in this league. So, being able to win some one-on-one backside concepts, and also being able to occupy some of the intermediate stuff across the field, and being able to add some run after the catch and things like that. I think for me, I’ve always prided myself on not being one-dimensional and being able to have all parts of my game be fine-tuned. That’s red zone, deep stuff, intermediate, short stuff, and like I said before, this is an offense that occupies all levels of the field.”

Teams didn’t press Robinson a lot last season, and perhaps this 13-yard catch against the Bengals shows why. Robinson is up against Chidobe Awuzie, Cincinnati’s best cornerback, and this just isn’t a fair fight.

However Allen Robinson is utilized in the Rams’ offense, expect all kinds of fireworks. Finally, after far too long, he’s matched his talents with a deserving group around him.

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Story originally appeared on Touchdown Wire