#Saints stats, per @ZebraTechnology
Derek Carr's connection to Rashid Shaheed in Week 2 traveled 54.5 yards through the air. This was Shaheed's 7th catch over 50 air yards since 2023. No other NFL WR has more than 4.
Alvin Kamara faced a stacked box (8+defenders) on 45% of his…
— RevDeuce (@RevDeuceWindham) September 17, 2024
Rashid Shaheed has developed into an elite deep threat in the NFL. Through the first two games of the season, he and Derek Carr have hooked up for the two longest receptions of his career and they both went for touchdowns.
Think of your fondest offensive memories from last year. Shouldn’t be a long thought. Running up the score versus the Atlanta Falcons — Jameis Winston’s famous “How much worse could it get?” line is probably first, and Carr telling Shaheed to “freaking run” would be a close second.
That was Week 1. Since then, no one has caught more passes that traveled 50 yards in the air. Shaheed’s deep threat ability has been an effective and frequent part of the offense since Carr joined in 2023. If you widen the scope to the year Shaheed entered the league, only Tyreek Hill has caught more 50-yard passes (10) than the Saints’ speedster has (8) since 2022.
Shaheed is dynamite in pads. He only has one touchdown of less than 30 yards, and seven plays where the ball traveled 50 air yards. Shaheed is a true threat from any place on the field. He’s achieving things no one else has over the last year and the early parts of this season. It’s time to start putting him on the list of best deep threats in the NFL.
