3 NFL Storylines to Watch in Week 15

Keenan Allen Slays Kansas City

What exactly are the Kansas City Chiefs supposed to do about Keenan Allen on Saturday night? This is a pivotal game for control of the AFC West. Right now, both teams are tied at 7-6, meaning this week's winner takes control atop the division.

Consider that from Weeks 11-13 we saw Allen become the first player in NFL history to record 10-plus catches for 100-plus receiving yards while scoring a touchdown in three straight games. Allen didn't get into the end zone for the Chargers last week to extend that mark, but he did exceed 100 receiving yards for the sixth time this season. During this span of four games, Allen and Antonio Brown are tied for the most catches at their position with 39 while Allen leads all wide receivers with 186 yards after the catch.

Of the 30 wide receivers who saw 300 or more air yards over the last 4 weeks, only Allen owns a RACR (Receiver Air Conversion Ratio) of over 1.0, according to Josh Hermsmeye's airyards.com. In other words, he's the only receiver among that group to register more actual receiving yards than air yards thrown his way. On the season, he's converted 97 percent of those air yard opportunities to the real yards that count. Among the 10 wide receivers with more than 900 receiving yards entering Week 15, only Tyreek Hill and Larry Fitzgerald are also over 90 percent.

Opposing pass defenses have been looking to throw on the Chiefs all year long. They are currently way out in front in terms of having seen the most air yards against them, more than 400 yards ahead of the next defense. And KC's average depth of target (aDOT) against is 10.5; only two other teams have a mark higher than 9.5.

In addition to the hot streak, Allen has been a solid performer in his five career games against Kansas City, averaging 9.0 targets, 6.2 receptions, and 79.0 yards. If the Chargers are going to overcome their 0-4 start and finish the epic collapse of the once 5-0 Chiefs, Allen figures to play a major factor.