As it turns out, no team can truly cover Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Houston Texans have a very good defense and a fantastic secondary, but even they couldn't stop JSN in Week 7. The Seattle receiver once again went over 100 yards receiving.
Whether Smith-Njigba lined up in the slot or outside, he consistently found the holes in the Texans' defense, or he simply ran a perfect route, making it impossible for a defensive back to keep him from catching the ball. He had eight catches for 123 yards and a touchdown.
But it was what he did after his touchdown catch that caught the attention of many, including his quarterback, Sam Darnold. JSN ran to the goal post, leaped to the crossbar as if he was dunking a basketball, and let go of the ball. NFL players aren't allowed to do that.
Sam Darnold makes a brilliant observation about Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba
The wide receiver was called for a 15-yard penalty, which only meant that kicker Jason Myers' extra point attempt was going to be 15 yards further back. (Myers made the extra point anyway.)
Still, the play implied an arrogance and seemed unlike Jaxon Smith-Njigba. It was something DK Metcalf might have done. Knowingly costing your team yards isn't a thing that should continue. Sam Darnold knows it.
Speaking to the media after the game, Darnold said, "That was surprising because we know that's a penalty. I haven't really talked to him about that. He got up, I know that. Yeah, we'd like to maybe not do that next time."
Of course, the quarterback was partly joking. The play was ultimately positive as the Seahawks had scored a touchdown. But there was a lot of truth in what he said, too. As great as Smith-Njigba is, he doesn't need to start a trend where he gives the opponent a bit of a freebie, either.
What seems certain through seven games, however, is that Jaxon Smith-Njigba is making a statement on the field that he should be a part of any Offensive Player of the Year discussion. He isn't going to win MVP because, as everyone knows, that will go to a quarterback. The best JSN can do is OPOY.
The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver is leading the NFL in receiving yards by nearly 200 yards. He has 819, while second-place Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals has 629. JSN also leads the league in yards per target at 11.7. He is most of his catches, but he might not want to try dunking fake basketballs after touchdowns anymore.