It’s hard to imagine too many Super Bowls in which both teams boasted dangerous returners who are also considerable factors on either offense or defense, but Super Bowl 60 between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots has a unique subplot.
For the Seahawks, Rashid Shaheed has been a brilliant midseason trade just off of his three combined kick and punt return touchdowns. Add in his abilities as a receiver and occasionally getting carries in the running game, and Shaheed provides a dynamic and versatile element to the Seahawks offense and special teams.
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It’s no surprise that Shaheed is a speedster; he comes from a family of track athletes.
“I grew up running track,” Shaheed told Field Gulls. “Both my parents come from a track background, as well. Both my sisters run, so I feel like I was just kind of born to run. I love track and field throughout all these years and I don’t where I’d be without it.
“The 200 and 400 meters were my races. Mostly the 400—I hated it, but I was good at it, so I had to do it.”
On the other side of the field is Marcus Jones, a two-time All-Pro selection as a punt returner who doubles as a slot cornerback for New England’s defense. Jones has taken back two punt returns for scores this season and has three for his career (although he no longer returns kickoffs).
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“Obviously he’s been a problem for teams all year,” Shaheed said. “Teams try to kick the ball away from him and you understand why. He’s very explosive with the ball in his hands. He’s one of the best in the game for a reason, and we’re going to have to have a good plan for him.”
While Jones operates primarily out of the slot, Shaheed does have 67 snaps lined up in the slot since he joined the Seahawks in November. Perhaps we might see two of the best returners going 1-on-1 in a critical moment on offense?
“Yeah, I’m about super excited about that opportunity,” Shaheed said. “Two returner specialists that can do other things outside of that.”
It’s definitely going to be fun to see if either Shaheed or Jones can make a major impact on Sunday… well, less fun if Jones does so.
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