The overlooked X-Factor in Seahawks-Rams: Rashid Shaheed

Much has been made of Sunday’s NFC championship between the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles as a clash of the league’s No. 1 offense against the No. 1 defense. But what about when the Seahawks have the ball?

When quarterback Sam Darnold leads Seattle’s offense — a top-10 unit in its own right — onto the field against a top-10 Los Angeles defense, who emerges as the X-factor?

The Athletic’s Nate Atkins and Michael-Shawn Dugar both point to the same player: wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, but mostly for his special teams play. 

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“Explosive plays typically lead to points, and when Rashid Shaheed delivers those explosive plays, Seattle tends to win,” Dugar wrote.

Shaheed provided a spark in Seattle’s second meeting with the Rams, scoring on a 58-yard punt return touchdown that fueled a fourth-quarter comeback, then adding a 31-yard carry that set up the game-tying touchdown on the very next play.

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Shaheed may not see a high volume of touches, but he remains a home-run threat anytime the ball is in his hands. Atkins echoed that sentiment. “Shaheed in Seattle is a different beast,” Atkins wrote.

As a receiver, Shaheed hasn’t put up notable numbers since Week 15 when he had five catches for 74 yards. The week prior he had four catches for 67 yards. He was targeted heavily the first half of the season.

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