The Saints drew up a play for Rashid Shaheed and practiced it all week, and it quite literally couldn't have worked better.
It was a fly sweep. It was timed to perfection. The UDFA out of Weber State took the ball in stride from Andy Dalton, made two cuts and 44 untouched yards later he was celebrating in the end zone, a touchdown scored on his first career offensive touch.
Shaheed says he "kind of blacked out" as the play was going on. He was locked in. But it began to sink in when he started celebrating with teammates.
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"I got to the sidelines and then I was like, 'whoa, that really just just happened.' But it was a really cool experience," Shaheed said. "You know, all my teammates were excited for me when I got back to the sideline. It was a moment I'll never forget."
It wasn't the impact Shaheed was expected to have, widely touted as a return ace and the FCS record-holder for kick return touchdowns (7). But it was one that pinned a heavily undermanned Saints squad an early lead in a game they couldn't hang onto in the end.
It was Shaheed's lone offensive touch of the game, though he was targeted on a deep shot early in the game that missed wide. He's a player the Saints were high on throughout the draft process, even with an ACL tear in the final game of his college career.
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"We like what we see. ... We like to speed and what he brings to the offense," offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael said. "And so I think that any of these guys can continue to grow in this offense."
Regardless of whether he's incorporated more into the traditional offense, Shaheed's primary duties will likely be in the kick and punt return games. He only got one chance at a kickoff return, which went for 20 yards. The other five kickoffs went for touchbacks. He had one punt return for six yards, and another for a fair catch. Marquez Callaway also fielded on punt for a fair catch.
With All-Pro return man Deonte Harty on injured reserve for at least three more weeks, any impact found in the return game will feel extra impactful. And that's what Shaheed is hoping to bring. His next chance will be on Thursday Night Football against the Arizona Cardinals.
"There's some things I think we kind of left out on the field a little bit, but just little things get cleaned up and, you know, big plays will happen," he said. "And I definitely expect that going forward."
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