Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has blossomed into a superstar right in front of our eyes. He proved that he was ready to take on a WR1 role, dominating both outside and at the slot and becoming the leading candidate to earn Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Of course, having a player of that caliber should never be considered an issue. Nevertheless, the Seahawks can't afford to depend on just one player. Everybody has to step up, especially in the biggest game of the season.
At least, that's how NFL analyst Chris Simms feels. Talking to Kay Adams on her Up & Adams show, Simms argued that the Seahawks needed to get someone else going, as Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots will make sure to be all over JSN in the Super Bowl.
The Seattle Seahawks need to get others more involved than just Jaxon Smith-Njigba
"It can't just be Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the pass game. There's gotta be somebody else," Simms said. "They need to find ways to get Rashid Shaheed more as a receiver."
Of course, slowing down Smith-Njigba will be way easier said than done. The Ohio State product has ten 100+ yards games this season, plus four games with at least 90 receiving yards. He's only had two quiet games all year, and he had a touchdown in one of them (19 yards and one score in the NFC Divisional Round).
That being said, Simms does have a valid point with Shaheed. He's been mostly a decoy, and his big-play ability could open up plenty of things for the passing game. Sam Darnold has a strong arm, and that 51-yard bomb in the NFC Championship Game should be a legitimate resource for Klint Kubiak's offense, not just a last resort.
Shaheed is probably the fastest wide receiver in the league right now. However, the Seahawks have barely used him as a pass catcher; he has two or fewer targets in six of his games since the trade that brought him to Seattle.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a bona fide star, and he should continue to be the focal point of the passing game. Still, this is a team sport first and foremost, and they will all have to chime in.
Also, even if Sam Darnold is fresh off the best game of his career and should've silenced the critics by now, he's still probably the weakest link, and the Patriots will probably challenge the Seahawks to put the ball in his hands by taking the running game away.