Jaxon Smith-Njigba went off vs. the New England Patriots in 2024. All that’s changed since laid the path for the Seattle Seahawks‘ chance to raise Super Bowl LX.
The Seahawks are favored to defeat the Patriots, but the fate of their offense hinges on Jaxon Smith-Njigba as it has all season- and the seeds were planted as early as Week 2 of last year when these teams last matched up.
JSN had 12 catches for 117 yards in that game as the Seahawks won 23-20. Both rosters have been revamped, from teams that missed out on the playoffs to conference champions- but this tape vs. this year’s shows more of the difference than 1,000 words ever could.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. Patriots defense
12 catches for 117 yards in their 2024 matchup pic.twitter.com/i7jpGSo6E0
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 4, 2026
First, you’ll notice the run of the mill coverage their defense gives him. He lined up in the slot and out wide still, but faces advantageous matchups which he rarely gets now that he’s evolved into a legendary route technician. The Patriots also hardly lineup stud cornerback Christian Gonzalez on him, which you should expect them to do much more on Sunday. Second, the Seahawks ran Ryan Grubb’s offense here, while the Patriots ran Jerod Mayo’s defense. Now, those respective units are designed by Klint Kubiak and Mike Vrabel. Kubiak tore down the previous vertical offense, built the new one horizontally and created a monster in JSN.
The coolest thing to notice is how they progressively put more and more help on him and still struggle. These were the seeds of the Seahawks building the offense around him, as they recognized defenses worried more about him than DK Metcalf. Once they did, the offense was able to travel fully into the future. They became the most modern in the NFL, shot up the rankings, and allowed JSN to evolve into who he is today.
Now that these two teams play for the Lombardi trophy, the Patriots will begin the Super Bowl with all their coverage attention on JSN’s number 11. Where the Seahawks go in their biggest game in over a decade will be up to them, but JSN might also have to bail them out with plays only the likes of legends can procure, as he has all season- and even since that mid-September game in New England last year.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX: Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s evolution key to victory
