By Ross Jackson
One of the biggest plays from Sunday’s New Orleans Saints win over the Dallas Cowboys came on a quick strike touchdown from quarterback Derek Carr to wide receiver Rashid Shaheed.
The play, which was the lone play of the drive, included some fantastic pass protection (particularly on the edges), a great route and blazing speed by Shaheed and a perfect throw from Carr. Here’s how it all came together.
CARR TO SHAHEED 70 YARDS 🔥
📺: #NOvsDAL on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/GV0MW5cduw— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024
The play begins with motion by fullback Adam Prentice who was lined up outside of tight end Foster Moreau on the right side of the formation. Once he goes in motion to the left side, it becomes evident that the Cowboys are in zone defense.
The addition of a high rate of motion to the Saints offense has paid dividends for Carr, who has always been an excellent pre-snap quarterback. Once the coverage type is diagnosed, Carr has an idea of where the ball will go. The majority of this play includes just two routes– Shaheed’sa skinny post and a deep over route by fellow receiver Chris Olave.
Carr said in his post-game media availability that he thought the ball was going to go to Olave the whole way. But the cornerback over Shaheed fails to get a good jam on him, and, without an underneath route becoming immediately available, he drops back into coverage underneath Olave’s over route.
That left Carr with two options, wait for Prentice or running back Jamaal Williams to break out of their protection and into the flats, or uncock it for Shaheed. Thanks to the solid blocking on each edge, Carr has the time to step up in the pocket and let it rip.
Right tackle Trevor Penning did a great job fending off Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons, winning the leverage battle by staying in front and constantly reengaging with low leverage. Meanwhile, Prentice and tight end Foster Moreau handle defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence well, forcing Lawrence to try multiple paths to the quarterback to no avail.
Carr steps up, a Cowboys defender gets a hit on him, but by the time he does, the ball is already out. Per Zebra Analytics the pass traveled 54.5 yards in the air before Shaheed chased it down for another explosive touchdown connection between the two.
Shaheed makes this play happen on his end by winning two leverage battles. The first was the win off the line of scrimmage wherein he gets a pretty clean release to the inside of the field. That keeps his timing on point as he wants to uncover as quickly as possible with only two routes for his quarterback to choose from early. He then sets up the closest over-the-top safety by forcing him to flip his hips outside, committing to inside leverage. Once he does so, Shaheed bends the route back inside, forcing the safety to have to turn around again, generating multiple yards of lateral separation.
Then, it all came down to Shaheed’s best weapon: his speed. Once he turned on the jets, he was able to chase down the pass and secure an electrifying touchdown that helps the Saints never look back in another dominating performance.
