If you haven't noticed by now, it's too late -- he's already past you for a long touchdown, because that's just what Rashid Shaheed does.
It's a theme of many a Saints game so far, with the speedster already hauling in 7 receptions of 40-plus yards. It's a number that's good for No. 2 in the NFL behind only Tyreek Hill, and his 20.8 yards per catch average is tops in the NFL.
But is there more of Shaheed's game left to unlock? His coaches think so.
"I think there’s still a lot of meat left on the bone in terms of what we need to be able to do and what he can do," head coach Dennis Allen said after the Saints' Week 8 win over the Colts. "Obviously his explosiveness down the field is probably his biggest trait. ... I think it’s all the little bitty intricacies and the little bitty details that he’s still got to improve on, but his speed and explosiveness makes him really difficult to cover."
In his rookie season the Saints were basically finding out what he could in real time. They had scouted him extensively as a return specialist out of Weber State, and there were clear traits that indicated he could be a factor beyond that. But even the scouts wouldn't claim they expected the first two touches of his NFL career to go for long touchdowns. After working through an injury during camp, he started his season on the practice squad, but was called up in Week 6 after an injury to return ace Deonte Harty.
Shaheed came to New Orleans as the FCS record-holder with seven return touchdowns. Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi said there was some frustration early on with Shaheed taking up a roster spot in camp but not being able to participate, but it's certainly worked out for the best.
"He was a dynamic returner at the level he was at, and just you always wonder if that transfers," Rizzi said. "I have the expression that if you have that many return touchdowns, I don't care what level you're playing at, high school, small college, big college. If you have that many dynamic plays, it usually translates into this level."
Shaheed came into the 2023 season as a clear weapon in the passing game, and there's also been a clear connection with Derek Carr at QB.
In that 38-27 win, Shaheed had his biggest game yet, hauling in three separate long passes. One came for a go-ahead touchdown in the first half, one came on a Taysom Hill pass that he worked back to and battled for the ball, and another came on 3rd and 13 late with the Saints going for it all to ice the game.
That second reception was the one that impressed teammate Mike Thomas the most, for a few reasons.
"Your mindset is always come down with it, but just to see him have that confidence to see him go up and not just try to bat it down, just cut it off, whatever," Thomas said. "That was an incredible play. That was a big play.”
The final grab, though, was the most impactful and effectively put the game out of reach. He had a similar moment late in wins over the Titans and Panthers. But the one in Indy was a bit different. The Saints had a bit of a scouting nugget on Gus Bradley, the Colts defensive coordinator who crossed paths with Derek Carr as a member of the Raiders. The way he coaches defense, the Saints new that with an inside release -- not a typical way to run a go route -- they'd catch the defender out of position.
The difficulty? Working back to the "red line," as teams refer to the optimal path where the ball will be delivered. It has to happen on time, and it takes a lot of speed to execute. That's what Shaheed has in droves. But as Carr explains, there's more to it than just straight line speed, which isn't exactly uncommon in the NFL.
"there’s a lot of guys that are really fast, but when the ball is in the air, they can’t really adjust to it," Carr said. "And so ... I’ve thrown to some guys that if they’re on that track, if you throw it just inside it’s gonna be incomplete, or you throw it just over the top. [Shaheed] is a guy that can run that fast and still find the ball and go get to it. So the elusiveness and the flexibility he has in his hips and the way he can move and track the ball and judge it and still make those catches is what I think is really impressive about him."
Everything Shaheed does is fast. ESPN flashed up a stat that his average speed is 16 mph on routes run this season. If the surface level is that impressive, it's no wonder coaches and teammates are raving about what the former Weber State standout can do as he progresses in his career.
"I’m so proud of the way he’s worked and I’m so proud of how hard he’s worked and overcome injuries earlier in his career, coming out of college," Carr said, "and then getting an opportunity and now he’s making the most of it.”
