Dolphins DC praises ‘elite’ qualities of Bills WR Khalil Shakir’s game

Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver was complimentary of Buffalo Bills wideout Khalil Shakir ahead of Week 9.

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We may as well start calling Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir ‘direct deposit,’ because he’s essentially automatic.

The third-year wideout is a player refined beyond his years, his route running fluidity and comprehensive understanding of defenses allowing him to be always open à la a 7-Eleven. He had shown flashes of promise throughout his first two professional seasons but has ascended to national prominence throughout the first eight games of the 2024 campaign, catching 36 of 38 targets for a team-leading 421 yards. 

He may not be quarterback Josh Allen’s favorite target, but he’s unequivocally his most reliable, his 94.7% catch percentage not only being the highest on the team, but also the best in the league among wide receivers (with Kansas City Chiefs wideout Rashee Rice being second at 82.8%). Shakir is quietly putting together an incredible—and potentially historic—season, and opposing defensive coordinators are, thus, beginning to account for him in their game plans.

Related: Dolphins DC offers bulletin board critique of Bills QB Josh Allen before Week 9 clash

Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has the unfortunate task of preparing for Shakir ahead of Week 9, this after the 24-year-old caught five of five targets for 54 yards in Buffalo’s Week 2 win over its divisional foe. Weaver praised Shakir during his pre-Week 9 media availability, noting that he has elite qualities to his game and that he’s a player who may need to be double-covered.

“[His catch rate] means when he throws the ball to him, you better have somebody on him,” Weaver said. “But that kid, he’s a tremendous player, right? He has elite change of direction and quickness. It’s funny because, the thing about losing, when they lost Stefon Diggs, the one thing you notice about Josh is, he’ll throw it to everybody, and he has confidence in everybody and getting them the ball. 

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“The other thing, they’re very specific in the routes they run and how they target each guy. That kid right there [Shakir], in the slot, he’s a difficult matchup, right? You don’t have the sideline as your extra defender, so you have to make sure, you usually have multiple people accounted for him.”

Shakir is coming off a Week 8 outing in which he posted season-highs in receptions (nine) and yards (107), a performance he’ll look to build upon against Weaver’s unit this Sunday in Orchard Park. Allen historically performs exceptionally well against Miami, and Shakir could be a significant benefactor of this in Week 9.

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