Tag: Davis Allen

Former Clemson star scores his first NFL Playoff touchdown

Davis Allen scores his first playoff touchdown.

Former Clemson standout Davis Allen found the end zone on Monday night, marking his first touchdown of the 2024 season and the first postseason touchdown of his NFL career.

The Los Angeles Rams tight end caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford just before halftime in the Rams’ NFC Wild Card victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The score helped propel Los Angeles to a decisive 27-9 win at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where the game was relocated due to wildfires in California.

Allen’s performance highlighted his steady progress as a young player in the league. Entering the game, Allen had six receptions for 39 yards across 15 regular-season appearances this season. As a rookie in 2023, the 6-foot-6 tight end caught 10 passes for 95 yards and scored his first NFL touchdown in a Week 14 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

Selected by the Rams in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Allen enjoyed a strong Clemson career from 2019-22. Over 54 games, he tallied 88 receptions for 951 yards and 12 touchdowns, tying for the second-most touchdown receptions by a tight end in program history. In 2022, he earned third-team All-ACC honors, setting career highs in catches (39), receiving yards (443), and touchdowns (five).

With Monday’s win, the Rams advance to the NFC Divisional Round, where they’ll face the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field (3 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock).

Sean McVay explains why Colby Parkinson’s role has shrunk significantly

Colby Parkinson went from playing almost every snap to being a backup, and Sean McVay explained why that is

With the Rams’ offense struggling, Sean McVay is looking for ways to get things back on track. One of the most notable changes in the last two weeks has been Colby Parkinson’s role.

A big free-agent addition, Parkinson’s playing time has dropped significantly in the last two weeks, seeing the field for just 43 total snaps after playing 46 snaps alone in Week 8. Against the Dolphins on Monday night, he was barely involved. He played just 11 total snaps and for the second straight week, he wasn’t targeted a single time.

Davis Allen has seemingly taken over as the top tight end on the depth chart and he’s coming off a five-catch game against Miami. On Wednesday, McVay was asked if Parkinson’s healthy considering how little he’s played, and he shared a bit about what’s led to that change.

“He is,” McVay said. “What we’re looking at is, I think (TEs coach Nick) Caley does a great job with those tight ends. It’s really just we’ve had some different personnel groupings and it’s really trying to maximize those three guys, both Davis, Hunter (Long), and obviously Colby. They’ve done some good things, but I think the strength of the unit is in that unit and being able to get all those guys involved.”

Parkinson was underperforming as a starter, catching just 23 passes for 214 yards so far this season. He’s also had his struggles as a blocker in the run game, and an illegal formation penalty against the Seahawks in Week 9 didn’t help his case, either.

It sounds like all three tight ends will continue to play each week but Parkinson has clearly fallen out of favor with the coaching staff in recent weeks and he may not go back to playing 80-plus percent of the snaps again.

Rams Week 10 snap counts: LA makes changes at TE, LB and safety

The Rams made changes at tight end, linebacker and safety, turning two three young starters against the Dolphins

The changes just keep coming for the Los Angeles Rams. In addition to having three new starters along the offensive line on Monday night against the Miami Dolphins, they had three new starters elsewhere, too.

The snap counts show that Davis Allen is the new starting tight end over Colby Parkinson, Omar Speights leapfrogged Christian Rozeboom as the primary inside linebacker and Kamren Kinchens played more than veteran Kam Curl at safety.

These may not be permanent changes, and it’s possible that Curl is simply still nursing a knee injury that’s limited him in the last two weeks, but the switch from Parkinson to Allen seems like something that’s going to stick for a while.

Below are the full snap counts on offense and defense, with breakdowns of each position group.

Offense

Starting with the offensive line, Steve Avila, Jonah Jackson and Joe Noteboom all played every snap in their returns from injured reserve. Alaric Jackson and Kevin Dotson played every snap, too.

At tight end is where the most notable change occurred. Allen played 56 of a possible 70 snaps, leading the position group by a wide margin. Parkinson was second with 11 snaps played, barely more than the nine that Hunter Long got. Parkinson’s role has been decreasing for weeks and it seems he’s now officially a backup.

Kyren Williams continues to dominate the snap share at running back, playing 65 of the 70 snaps. Blake Corum came in for five snaps on one drive, touching the ball three times for a total of 15 yards.

At wide receiver, Cooper Kupp played all but seven snaps. Demarcus Robinson actually played more than Puka Nacua barely out-snapping him 58 to 55. That’s not anything to be concerned about with Nacua, though. Tutu Atwell was the No. 4 receiver with a 19% snap share, followed by Tyler Johnson (14%) and Jordan Whittington (7%). This was Whittington’s first game since Week 7.

Defense

Both Speights and Rozeboom played significant snaps, but for the first time all year, Speights led the linebacker group in playing time. He was on the field for 74% of the snaps compared to 62% for Rozeboom, and it was Speights announced as a starter, not Rozeboom.

At safety, Kinchens and Curl were both technically starters alongside Quentin Lake, but Kinchens played six more snaps than Curl. It’s unclear if that’s because of Curl’s lingering knee injury but it is something to monitor moving forward. Jaylen McCollough played 13 snaps as the fourth safety.

Cobie Durant and Darious Williams are the clear-cut top cornerbacks for the Rams, playing every snap in the loss. Ahkello Witherspoon’s role remains limited as the third cornerback, as the Rams prefer to deploy their safeties in nickel and dime packages instead of an extra corner.

Jared Verse and Byron Young remained the top edge rushers for the Rams with 45 and 43 snaps, respectively. Michael Hoecht’s role isn’t going anywhere, as he played 66% of the snaps, and Brennan Jackson rotated in for three plays.

Along the defensive line, Kobie Turner once again led in snaps played with a 79% share. Surprisingly, Bobby Brown III played more snaps (33) than Braden Fiske (28) did in the loss. Tyler Davis played 17 snaps and Jonah Williams played eight snaps of his own.

Rams injury report: 2 players ruled out, 3 questionable vs. 49ers

Sean McVay shared injury updates ahead of Sunday’s game, already ruling out two players and listing three as questionable

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The Los Angeles Rams’ injury issues haven’t just been on offense and defense. They’ve now bled into the special teams unit.

Sean McVay said Friday before practice that kicker Joshua Karty is one of three players listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the 49ers. Karty will try to practice today after sitting out the first two days of work, and that will determine whether he’s able to play on Sunday.

If not, it’ll be Tanner Brown kicking for the Rams this weekend. He was recently signed to the practice squad as a precaution with Karty battling a groin injury.

Additionally, Cobie Durant and Bobby Brown III are both considered questionable, per McVay. Cooper Kupp has been ruled out, as expected, and Davis Allen is also out for the second straight week with a back injury.

The good news is Kevin Dotson appears to be off the injury report and good to go despite a lingering foot injury.

The Rams and 49ers will both release their final injury reports of the week after practice on Friday, at which point this post will be updated to reflect official designations for this weekend’s game.

Update: The full injury report is below, which has updated statuses for 49ers players.

Matthew Stafford: Rams TEs are ‘as talented and as deep’ as I’ve had in NFL

Matthew Stafford paid the Rams’ tight ends a huge compliment, saying it’s probably the best room he’s had in the NFL

The Los Angeles Rams have had good stability at tight end during Sean McVay’s tenure. Tyler Higbee has held down that position for years and from 2017-2020, the Rams also had the very talented Gerald Everett as their No. 2 option.

In the last two years, McVay and Les Snead have been fairly aggressive at this position. They signed Higbee to an extension last September, drafted Davis Allen in the fifth round in 2023 and signed Colby Parkinson to a three-year deal in free agency. They also acquired Hunter Long, a former third-round pick, in the Jalen Ramsey trade. Not to mention, they were in hot pursuit of Brock Bowers in Round 1 of the draft this year.

Though they didn’t end up with Bowers, the result of their moves has been a deep and talented tight end room. Just ask Matthew Stafford.

He said on “Inside Rams Camp” Thursday that the Rams’ tight end group is as good as he’s had since he came into the NFL in 2009.

“I think it’s as talented and as deep a room as I’ve been a part of since I’ve probably been in the league,” Stafford said. “And when you get Higs back healthy, it’s going to be a big strength for our team. I’m excited about these guys, they’re working their (expletive) off and it’s going to be good for us.”

Stafford has had some talented tight ends in his career, from Brandon Pettigrew to Eric Ebron to T.J. Hockenson. However, collectively, he believes the Rams’ combination of Higbee, Parkinson, Allen and Long is as deep as he’s had on a team.

Parkinson is expected to be the Rams’ starting tight end at the beginning of the season with Higbee on the PUP list currently, but Allen is pushing for snaps at the position, too. Both guys have big frames as receivers and wide catch radiuses, making them excellent red zone targets for Stafford, too.

It’ll be fun to see how this group plays out as the season progresses, especially once Higbee returns from his knee injury.

Is TE Davis Allen the Rams’ next star?

Despite limited opportunities in 2023, here’s why Davis Allen could break out in 2024.

Davis Allen, the 6-foot-6, 245-pound tight end from Clemson, put together a quietly consistent year with the Rams in 2023. Playing backup to incumbent starter Tyler Higbee and continually being sidelined because of the Rams’ continued philosophy of having three wide receivers on the field, Allen didn’t have many opportunities.

Where opportunities are scarce, so are positive performances. Yet, with only 11 targets, Allen hauled in 10 catches. Effortless efficiency is what I call it but for Allen, it’s all about the work.

Allen had several strong performances to finish off the 2023 season, including a four-catch, 50-yard game in a start against Baltimore; he also scored his first career touchdown in that game. With Higbee out due to injury, Allen wasted no time going to work against one of the best defenses in the NFL.

In the Rams’ playoff loss the Lions, Allen ended his season with two catches for 28 yards against Detroit. In said loss, Higbee tore his ACL and MCL and will likely start the 2024 season on the physically unable to perform list.

Higbee is 31, attempting to return from a devastating injury and is currently not on the practice field. The competition for the starting job is between Allen and newly signed Colby Parkinson.

Parkinson is decent and his production was stunted in Seattle’s offense, but with an increased effort to improve the run game, there’s a likelihood that the Rams will run more two-tight end sets than they’ve done in previous years.

Year 1 was all about Allen’s introduction to the NFL process. Year 2 should be about growth and Year 3 could see Allen take the full-time job.

With the potential to be the best tight end duo since Higbee and Gerald Everett, Allen should see more balls thrown his way and if he displays remotely the same abilities he did last year, expect a sizable boost in production.

Allen has the frame, footwork and film to be special. Only time will tell how special he’ll actually be. If I had to put money on it, the Rams have a future Pro Bowler on their hands.

McVay: TE Davis Allen took ‘tremendous step in the right direction’ this offseason

Davis Allen is a player to watch at tight end with Tyler Higbee still rehabbing a knee injury

Tyler Higbee’s 2023 season ended in heartbreaking fashion, suffering a torn ACL and MCL in the Rams’ playoff loss to the Lions in January. Given the severity of the injury and the timing of it, Higbee might not be ready for the start of the 2024 season.

That would leave Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and Hunter Long atop the depth chart at tight end, which isn’t a terrible group to have but it would certainly be better with Higbee available. Parkinson has had a nice offseason so far despite being limited slightly by an injury, but Allen is lurking, too.

Sean McVay said this week that Allen has really progressed well this offseason, a positive statement from the Rams head coach about his second-year tight end.

“I thought Davis Allen took a tremendous step in the right direction,” McVay said. “The game makes sense to him. I thought when Higbee ended up needing a spell towards the latter part of the year if he missed a game, Davis filled in and he did a great job. Played big time in Baltimore, he played big in Washington, made some big-time plays in the Detroit game. I always loved watching his tape at Clemson where there’s certain guys you can just see have a feel.”

Allen was a fifth-round pick by the Rams last year and he suited up for 15 games, making one start. He only caught 10 passes for 95 yards, but he was also targeted just 11 times in 192 offensive snaps played.

It’s unlikely that he’ll overtake a veteran like Parkinson, whom the Rams signed in free agency, but it seems he’s squarely in the mix to be TE2 while Higbee is out.

Davis Allen provided an unexpected spark when Rams needed it most at TE

Davis Allen had one career catch before Sunday, but he put together a huge performance when the Rams needed him

Davis Allen has been a non-factor for the Los Angeles Rams all season, largely because of the team’s depth at tight end. But their depth was tested in a big way on Sunday in Baltimore with Tyler Higbee inactive due to a neck injury and Hunter Long exiting with what appeared to be a serious knee injury.

Allen was the next man up and he absolutely delivered.

In his first extended look in the NFL, the rookie came through with a great performance. He caught four passes for 50 yards, including a touchdown in the first half that gave the Rams a 17-14 lead over Baltimore. He was targeted five times and the only pass he didn’t come up with was on third-and-9 in overtime, though he likely wouldn’t have gotten to the first-down line anyway.

His first catch of the game was a 7-yard touchdown grab, but that may not have been the most important play he made. After his third-down conversion in the second quarter was negated by a penalty on Kyren Williams, Matthew Stafford came right back to him on third-and-15, and he turned a checkdown into an 18-yard gain for a first down, which set up Lucas Havrisik’s 51-yard field goal.

On the game-tying drive in the fourth quarter, Allen caught a pass over the middle for a 21-yard gain, putting the Rams across midfield with the game on the line.

Stafford thought Allen did an excellent job in his first long look as a pro, even complimenting him for going over the top with a hurdle attempt on his 18-yard catch.

“I thought he did a great job,” Stafford said. “Obviously, he’s a young guy in there. Played a bunch of snaps. Happy for him on the touchdown, great job on the long third down, just sending it down the middle there. It was a ballsy play, but it worked for him. I thought he did a really nice job. Those are some tough matchups both in the run game and the pass game. Those guys have first-round picks all over the place so I thought he did a nice job.”

Higbee’s status for Week 15 remains is unclear, and it remains to be seen if Long will be back anytime soon after suffering his knee injury. So for the time being, Allen could be the Rams’ top tight end moving forward.

Former Tiger scores first career NFL touchdown

Former Clemson tight end Davis Allen caught a 7-yard pass from Matthew Stafford for his first career touchdown with the Los Angeles Rams.

Former Clemson tight end Davis Allen scored his first career NFL touchdown on Sunday.

Playing the Baltimore Ravens, Allen caught a 7-yard screen pass from Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for his first score as a pro. Allen’s score gave the Rams a 17-14 lead over the Ravens.

After playing at Clemson for four years, Allen was drafted by Los Angeles in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft. Prior to Sunday’s game against Baltimore, Allen had just one catch for six yards on the year.

A former three-star recruit, Allen first arrived at Clemson in 2019 and gradually earned more and more playing time as the years progressed. He had his best statistical season in 2022, finishing the year with career-high marks in receptions, yards and touchdowns at 39, 443 and five, respectively.

Here is Allen’s first career score in the NFL:

Watch: Davis Allen scores 1st NFL touchdown on screen pass vs. Ravens

Rookie TE Davis Allen scored his first career touchdown against the Ravens on a perfectly designed screen pass

Rams rookie tight end Davis Allen caught his first career pass two weeks ago against the Cardinals, and on Sunday in Baltimore, he added to his resume with his first career touchdown.

It came on a 7-yard pass from Matthew Stafford, a perfectly designed screen pass where Allen blocked initially before releasing out. He barreled into the end zone while getting his helmet twisted by his facemask.

Allen stepped up with Tyler Higbee inactive and Hunter Long exiting with a knee injury, making a huge play in the red zone to give the Rams a 17-14 lead.