Opponent preview: Green Bay Packers’ receiver Geronimo Allison

Geronimo Allison may not have had his name called in the 2016 NFL Draft, but had the fortune to be picked up by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent. Now in his third year, he’s established himself as a reliable starter. In what could be his breakout season, what should the Buffalo Bills be looking out for?

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Play 1

Geronimo Allison likes to finesse his way around defensive backs when he isn’t given a cushion. The stutter step is a staple of Allison’s and is used with mixed results. It rarely throws off the timing of his route. and you’ll see a common theme starting here. Allison is respectable using these kinds of moves.

Play 2

In real time, Allison’s move is pretty snappy. The second time through we can see part of the reason the move is effective. Allison has good fundamentals on the fake, which helps sell it effectively. His head turns back as if he’s looking for the ball, and his shoulders square up well to complete the sales pitch.

Play 3

Geronimo Allison has come up with some big plays for the Packers this year, including a 64-yard touchdown in Week three. Allison is not a burner by any means though. Routes without a little deception thrown in are usually well covered by defenders.

Play 4

Allison is a willing blocker and is dependable. Don’t expect to see him blow up a defender. At 6’3”, he’s far too upright in his stance most of the time to get the leverage to drive his man back (like above). He shows good play recognition and gets enough on his blocks to be effective.

Play 5

Geronimo Allison won’t hesitate to use a cut block, which can get dicey for the the defender. Allison times these up well and is generally effective when using this style of block. This will be something the Bills’ corners should be on the lookout for.

Play 6

Technically this is the broadcast footage so we’re departing from “All-22” for a minute. This shows the best angle of this catch so hopefully all will be forgiven. Allison stays focused on the ball despite being in the process of falling. He tracks the ball the entire way in. As is noted in the graphic, he has little choice but to hand catch (as opposed to body catch) for this pass, but has good catching habits. Allison has dependability catching the ball.

Play 7

Geronimo Allison gets a boost from the team around him. Randall Cobb and Davante Adams take some heat off of Allison for example, opening up opportunities. On this pass, Allison gets a half-step on the defender, but the perfect throw from Aaron Rodgers doesn’t hurt Allison’s chances either.

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In Conclusion

Geronimo Allison is best described as “dependable” or “reliable.” Nothing stood out regarding Allison in one direction or the other. However, that’s not intended to be an insult by any means. Allison is very capable for a WR3. While any player would receive opportunities to make a play based on the surrounding talent, not every player would be poised to take advantage of them. There’s nothing wrong with being “merely” good. Along with the rest of the Packers skill players, Allison will test the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.