Offensive coordinator Joe Brady has the Buffalo Bills offense humming through three weeks, and it’s not the in the typical Josh Allen-led ways. Brady has taken a lot of the weight off of Allen’s shoulders, using the run game, getting the ball out fast in the passing game, and letting receivers run after the catch. No player on the offense has benefitted more from this philosophy in the passing game than third-year wideout Khalil Shakir.
To say that Shakir has been reliable this year for Brady and Allen would be an understatement. His catch percentage currently sits at 100% (pretty good) as he has caught all 14 of his targets through three weeks. In fact, dating back to last year, Shakir has caught 27 consecutive targets, which ties an all-time NFL record.
Impressive from the 2022 fifth-rounder out of Boise State, right? But, what’s even more impressive is what Shakir is doing after completing those catches. Through three weeks he is fifth in the NFL in yards after the catch (117), and that’s on just 14 targets. He trails on Tyreek Hill, Chris Godwin, Malik Nabers, and Rashee Rice. Those are household names, and if Shakir isn’t a household name yet, then he should be soon at his current pace.
He has already scored two touchdowns this year on catch-and-runs, both breaking tackles to find the endzone. We have seen flashes from Shakir over his first two years in the league, but now he’s getting the chance to shine. Not only is he getting looks in the offense now, but they are quality looks. The ball is getting on him fast and there is room for him to run after the catch.
On the Green Light Podcast with Chris Long this summer, Josh Allen praised Shakir, saying, “I’m excited to see [Shakir] step into a larger role… very, very excited about his season coming up.”
People should have taken Allen’s words more seriously because Shakir is taking the world by storm. Shakir currently leads the NFL in receiving EPA at +22.6, and he leads the Bills in every major receiving stat. He’s the team leader in receptions (14), targets (14), receiving yards (168), receiving touchdowns (2), and receiving yards per game (56.0).
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