Nissan Stadium – Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s historic season reached another peak in Nashville on Sunday. But in many ways, it was just more of the same.
Seattle’s star receiver earned his latest game ball. Latest is a key word, because Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald couldn’t tell you how many Smith-Njigba has received.
“Probably not enough,” Macdonald said. “Honestly, he probably could get one every game.”
In his latest masterpiece, Smith-Njigba caught eight passes for a season-high 167 yards in Seattle’s 30-24 victory over Tennessee, breaking the single-season franchise record for receiving yards in the process. Just 11 games into Seattle’s season, the third-year pro is already at 1,313 yards. The previous Seahawks’ record was set in 2020, when DK Metcalf had 1,303 yards.
Smith-Njigba, who’s on pace for an NFL-record 2,029 receiving yards, admitted that he was aware that he was closing in on Metcalf’s record and that it “means a lot.”
“Great receivers have come through here,” Smith-Njigba said. “Honestly, I look at it as a team award quite honestly, because without Sam [Darnold] and with out the safety, with out Sheed [Rashid Shaheed] and Coop [Cooper Kupp], this doesn’t occur. So, I’m grateful and grateful and blessed for my crew.”
Smith-Njigba didn’t have a goal within the first quarter Sunday, however he exploded with 80-plus receiving yards in each the second and the third durations.
He scored his first of two touchdowns on his first goal of the sport, which got here early within the second quarter. After motioning into the slot, the previous Ohio State star had a good one-on-one matchup with security Amani Hooker, whom he beat on a nook route for the 63-yard landing.
Within the third quarter, Smith-Njigba had one other explosive play — a 56-yarder — the place he confronted man protection from rookie security Kevin Winston Jr. It arrange the star receiver’s 13-yard landing two performs later, which prolonged Seattle’s result in 23-3.
Macdonald and a number of other teammates referenced Smith-Njigba’s spectacular ball management, which Darnold referenced as “second to none,” as pivotal to his success.
“These deep balls down the sector, particularly ones that are not in stride, it is extremely arduous to play [as a defender],” Macdonald defined. “You are operating full pace. … In some unspecified time in the future if you’re in part, you need to go play the ball, and that is actually the one probability you might have as a result of in any other case you are going to get known as for a penalty. It does present you his physique management is absolutely simply subsequent stage.”
Smith-Njigba has supreme confidence in these conditions.
“I’d say I’ve higher ball-tracking expertise than lots of DBs and I can type of really feel their tenseness and freaking out when the ball is within the air,” he stated. “So, simply staying relaxed, staying calm.”
Smith-Njigba now has no less than 100 receiving yards in all however three video games this season, and no less than 90 in all however one. His elite, constant manufacturing is all of the extra spectacular contemplating he doesn’t get a lot assist in the move sport. No different Seattle receiver has reached 500 yards; the closest is Kupp, who, with 414 receiving yards, has 899 fewer than JSN.
Smith-Njigba’s reference to Darnold is the engine behind the Seahawks’ offense, which ranked third in scoring coming into Sunday. The previous first-round decide is simply the third participant in NFL historical past with no less than 75 receiving yards in 11 straight video games, becoming a member of Marvin Harrison (2002) and Kupp (2021), in line with FOX Sports activities Analysis.
Within the combine for Offensive Participant of the Yr, Smith-Njigba has been so dominant that he’s no less than worthy of eyeballs within the MVP race. A large receiver has by no means gained the award however has obtained MVP votes 21 occasions because the 1970 merger, together with 14 completely different gamers, per FOX Sports activities Analysis. A receiver has completed as excessive as second in voting 4 occasions, together with Jerry Rice twice (1987, 1995), and as soon as by Otis Taylor (1971) and Harold Jackson (1973).
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who was in Smith-Njigba’s draft class, remembers when NFL observers had been down on his teammate after a disappointing rookie yr, when he had simply 63 receptions for 628 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Two years later, he’s arguably the most effective receiver in soccer.
“He’s simply doing his factor proper now,” Witherspoon stated.
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand labored for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Community, the place he was the Titans beat author for a yr and a half. He lined the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for 3 seasons (2018-20) previous to transferring to Tennessee. You’ll be able to observe Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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