49ers’ defense gunning for Allen
Panthers’ QB, 50 lifetime, set for first big test
Six games into their renaissance, the 49ers move into another realm Sunday when they face an undefeated, historically efficient quarterback in Carolina’s Kyle Allen. All together now: Kyle who? That’s a fair question, because Allen was undrafted and unheralded before he became unbeaten. He zoomed out of obscurity to win his only start last season for the Panthers, and now he’s 40 this year as a morethancapable replacement for the injured Cam Newton.
Allen has thrown 153 career passes, including 122 this season, without an interception. He’s the only NFL quarterback since 1950 to post a 50 record with no interceptions in his first five career starts.
“He makes good decisions,” 49ers defensive end Dee Ford said Friday. “Coaches guide you, but you have to ultimately make the decisions.”
Asked if he thought he and his teammates could pressure Allen into making some bad decisions in Sunday’s game, Ford smiled and said, “That’s why they pay us.”
It’s fair to point out that Allen and the Panthers haven’t faced a defense resembling that of the 49ers, who rank second in the NFL in points (10.7) and yards (223.5) allowed per game. Carolina built its fourgame winning
streak against teams with defenses now ranked 17th or lower.
Also fair to point out: The highestrated quarterback the 49ers have encountered this season was Washington’s Case Keenum, who stands only 15th in the league in passer rating. Allen is fourth at 106.6, and Seattle’s Russell Wilson (second) and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers (sixth) also loom in the next month.
The road begins with Allen, who posted the secondhighest passer rating in franchise history (144.4) during a 3820 win over Arizona on Sept. 22. He completed 19 of 26 passes for 261 yards and four touchdowns.
Allen’s performance these past four games made an impression on 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, a renowned quarterback whisperer.
“He’s done such a good job,” Shanahan said. “He’s run their offense very well. He doesn’t run with the ball like Cam did, but in the pass game he’s been very efficient.
“He’s a very balanced thrower, very accurate, and he’s made some very good plays. He’s found a way not to lose the game, which is a very big deal; that’s what allowed their defense to really tee off.”
Allen, 23, was highly regarded as a senior at Desert Mountain High in Scottsdale, Ariz. He earned an invitation to the prestigious Elite 11 Quarterback Camp in 2013, joining the Texans’ Deshaun Watson and Carolina backup Will Grier, among others.
Allen spent two seasons at Texas A&M, transferred to Houston after losing the starting job to Kyler Murray (before
Murray bolted for Oklahoma) and then lost the starting job at Houston after throwing four interceptions in his first two games. He ultimately declared for last year’s NFL draft with one year of college eligibility remaining.
The Panthers signed him as an undrafted free agent, waived him from their practice squad and brought him back late in the season. He played well in leading Carolina to a 3314 victory over New Orleans in the 2018 finale, planting the seeds for this year’s rapid ascent.
“The kid’s got a good knack about him,” Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said.
Allen did fumble six times in his first three starts this season. And now he must confront a 49ers defense on a bigtime roll; San Francisco has permitted only 176 net yards passing in its past three games.
The challenge will take on a different form, in part because Allen and the Panthers lean heavily on dynamic running back Christian McCaffrey. That’s one way to avoid interceptions: dump the ball to McCaffrey rather than try risky throws downfield.
Even so, Allen’s success illustrates the imperfect science of evaluating college QBs.
“There’s so much more to playing quarterback than just obvious talent,” Shanahan said. “You have to throw a football well just to get into the club, but everything else after that is how you play the game … what’s inside them, how their mind works, how they react to pressure and things like that.”