One of the most dangerous, explosive, and elite quarterback-wide receiver connections this season has been Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. There might be literally no one on earth who would have predicted this for the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason, considering JSN's unproven young NFL career and Darnold's past.
Surprise, surprise, however, the eight-year veteran and third-year wideout partnered for 119 receptions, 1,793 yards, and 10 touchdowns with Smith-Njigba averaging 15.1 yards per catch. On top of the statistics, Darnold contributed to JSN's chase for league history in breaking Calvin Johnson's single-season wide receiving yards record. Unfortunately, the chase fell short.
Still, for one season at least, so far, Darnold and Smith-Njigba appear to be in a solid partnership that is likely to extend past this season, Super Bowl win or not. If you ask JSN, his confidence in his quarterback runs high, and he spoke without hesitation about Darnold in a recent media session.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba calls Sam Darnold a "dog" after Seahawks clinch the NFC
Darnold did not throw a touchdown pass against the San Francisco 49ers, but he did throw for two yards shy of 200 and a 97.9 passer rating. The best part of Darnold's game was what he didn't do: commit a brutal turnover, something he has been prone to in recent weeks.
Of Darnold's 198 yards, 84 of them went to Smith-Njigba on six receptions. JSN failed to hit the 100-yard mark for the third consecutive game to close out the season, but when you listen to his presser, he's not focused on the numbers.
Instead, when asked about his quarterback, Smith-Njigba was quick to praise Darnold for his performance against the 49ers, calling him a "dog" in the win.
"Sam led us today. Sam was an absolute dog today, " Smith-Njigba said. "His demeanor, his approach, everything about what he did today was great, you know, of course, we want to fix a few things, of course, there's always going to be things to fix. From the time we got here yesterday, the way we prepared, the way he prepared all week to make sure his guys were ready is one of one stuff, and I'm super happy for him."
There is no shortage of respect from Smith-Njigba toward Darnold, who has had plenty of critics and detractors this season, despite Seattle's incredible season. Some of what the critics say has been right regarding Darnold's play. However, he is the quarterback of a 14-win team and the NFC conference champions.
That can't be taken away from Darnold, and Smith-Njigba's reverence for him shows just how tight-knit the entire Seahawks locker room has been this season, from the defense to the offense to the special teams. More often than not, members of the Seahawks' defense have even stepped to the podium in defense of and support for Darnold, as have his receivers, like JSN and Cooper Kupp.
Seattle may be Darnold's home for the foreseeable future, and judging by the remarks, Smith-Njigba appears to be all in for that reality.