Jaxon Smith-Njigba was asked to step up as the No. 1 wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks when they traded DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also had to adapt to a new quarterback with Sam Darnold signing in free agency, after the Seahawks moved on from Geno Smith.
JSN lived up to expectations by hauling in 119 receptions for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns. His performance led to him winning the Offensive Player of the Year Award as well as being named one of three FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Year. He’s proven to be unstoppable, which means the New England Patriots better have a good plan if they expect to slow him down during Super Bowl LX.
New England cornerback Carlton Davis discussed these plans, and it doesn’t appear as though they’re going to draw up any crazy scheme. Instead, they’re going to ask their All-Pro cornerback, Christian Gonzalez, to shadow JSN.
“We’re going to have ‘Gonzo’ follow him. Obviously, he’ll motion, and I’ll probably see him a couple times,” Davis said.
The 17th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Gonzalez has become one of the league’s top shutdown corners. As good as he’s been during the regular season, Gonzalez stepped up in the playoffs with 15 tackles, four pass deflections, one sack, and one interception.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been elite in the postseason
Seattle didn’t ask much of Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the Wild Card Round since they defeated the 49ers 41-6 and leaned on the ground game. Still, Smith-Njigba had three receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown.
Against the Rams in the NFC Championship Game, Smith-Njigba was targeted much more and delivered in a big way. He had 10 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown, helping them win 31-27.
The outcome of this game could come down to this matchup with two of the best players at their respective positions going one-on-one against each other.
