The Seattle Seahawks were one of the biggest winners of the NFL trade deadline. They gave Sam Darnold yet another weapon by trading for New Orleans Saints star Rashid Shaheed.
He will now be reunited with former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. And, with a much-improved quarterback situation, he could be in for a big second half of the season.
With that in mind, NFL analyst Marcas Grant had a bit of a hot prediction for his Seahawks debut. He believes he’s going to post some video game-like numbers in the home game against the Arizona Cardinals:
“Rashid Shaheed scores two TDs in his Seahawks debut,” Grant wrote. “This week’s prediction is heavily vibes-based. The Seahawks found a field-stretching complement to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Why wouldn’t they want to feature that weapon immediately to put the rest of the league on notice? But if stats are your thing, how about this? Sam Darnold posts the NFL’s highest completion percentage over expectation on deep throws. A good deep-ball thrower with a good deep-ball threat is a recipe for success.”
The Seahawks already have a strong candidate to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors. However, as much as Jaxon Smith-Njigba will continue to be the leading receiver, Shaheed’s big-play skill set also makes him a perfect fit for this offense.
He’s already familiar with Kubiak’s system, so he’s going to be a seamless fit and a plug-and-play kind of guy. Also, with Sam Darnold’s determination to sling the football down the field, he should be in for plenty of explosive play opportunities.
The Seahawks also have another proven playmaker in Cooper Kupp. He’s no longer at the peak of his powers or the superstar he used to be.
Still, this team is absolutely stacked in the passing game right now, and with some solid pass protection, there’s simply no excuse for Sam Darnold. This team is for real, and they should close out the season on a high note.
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