Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was barely involved in the team’s Week 1 win over the Denver Broncos. Smith-Njigba recorded just two receptions for 19 yards. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb sought out to upgrade his involvement against the New England Patriots in Week 2.
Boy, did he ever. Smith-Njigba totaled 12 receptions on 16 targets for 117 receiving yards. For the young sophomore, it marked the first double-digit receptions game of his young career. It also represented the second time he’s seen double-digit targets, with Sunday’s 16 being a career-high, easily surpassing last season’s 11-target game against the Dallas Cowboys. Smith-Njigba also surpassed 100 receiving yards for the first time after failing to reach triple digits in any single-game appearance as a rookie.
With Tyler Lockett playing through an injury, starting quarterback Geno Smith relied on Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf. Overall, JSN and Metcalf combined for 22 receptions for 246 yards. Grubb worked his passing-game horses with Seattle struggling to run the ball in Kenneth Walker’s absence.
WR JSN Route Tree:
Week 9 of 2023 vs. Week 2 of 2024: pic.twitter.com/WSfi1wS8gs
— Seahawks Today (@TodaySeahawks) September 16, 2024
Next Gen Stats‘ advanced metrics also shine a light on Smith-Njigba’s performance. He created an average of 2.9 yards of separation per target. Smith-Njigba also accounted for 47.37% of Smith’s targeted air yards (TAY%).
JSN struggled to get on the same page with ex-offensive coordinator Shane Waldron as a rookie in 2023. His usage in Week 2 under Grubb already indicates growth and maturity as a receiver. Here’s to hoping Sunday’s performance was Smith-Njigba’s official breakout game.
