Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Los Angeles Rams
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba #11 of the Seattle Seahawks reacts during warm ups before a game against the San Francisco 49ers.
It’s not easy being in the number one spot. In the NFL, the number one wide receiver sets the tone; they have the most attention, the most scrutiny, and sometimes need to be the one who puts the team on their back. Not everyone is up to the task, but early in the season, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is.
Once again, Smith-Njigba had a stellar performance. He had eight receptions for 103 yards and averaged 12.9 yards per catch against the Pittsburgh Steelers. What made Smith-Njigba’s game even more special is that he did it against the Seahawks’ former number one receiver, DK Metcalf, and outplayed him.
Last week against the San Francisco 49ers, Smith-Njigba accounted for 124 of quarterback Sam Darnold’s 150 passing yards. Early in the season, the third-year receiver out of Ohio State University is establishing himself as one of the top receivers in the league.
JSN Called His Own Shot on Big Play
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is growing into his role as the Seahawks’ leading receiver more and more every week. One of the indicators that Smith-Njigba is more comfortable stepping up and being a leader is that he can call for certain plays, which he did late in the fourth quarter against the Steelers.
The play is called “X Blazer,” and Smith-Njigba told Sam Darnold in the first half that if they got that play option, then to run it. Smith-Njigba recounted this story to Mike Florio ofPro Football Talk.
“It’s a play that I really wanted in the first half,” Smith-Njigba told PFT by phone after the game. “I told [quarterback] Sam Darnold in the first half if we get that play, let’s do it.”
Smith-Njigba’s film study came in handy as he saw the Steelers with a single-high safety before the play and knew he could exploit it, believing the Steelers thought the Seahawks would run on the play. Smith-Njigba guessed right and blew past star cornerback Jalen Ramsey for a 43-yard catch.
Darnold and JSN’s Growing Chemistry
Another key factor in Jaxon Smith-Njigba taking the next step as an elite receiver in the NFL is developing trust and chemistry with his starting quarterback. Smith-Njigba had it last season with Geno Smith on his way to a Pro Bowl, and he seems well on his way to developing a special connection with Sam Darnold.
The connection began in the offseason, and it has been paying off over the past two weeks. Smith-Njigba is second in the NFL with 227 receiving yards and second with 17 receptions.
In his August 2 article, John Boyle ofSeahawks.com wrote about how Darnold viewed Jaxon Smith-Njigba as one of a kind.
“He’s just one of a kind, just the way he can get in and out of routes, the shiftiness,” Darnold said. “For him, just the way he gets in and out of cuts, his speed, it’s really everything.”
Darnold then went on to compare Smith-Njigba’s movements to a hockey player.
“I described the way that he moves as like a hockey player on ice,” Darnold said. “It feels like sometimes he’s just skating out there the way he can get in and out of cuts. Even not being on his team, I always felt like he was one of the best guys, run after the catch, in the NFL, so to see it in person, see it every single day during camp has been special.”
Darnold knows how special the pair can be this season as they continue to grow together. Their next chance for growth will be this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.