Jaxon Smith-Njigba has officially arrived-and he’s not just knocking on the door of stardom, he’s kicked it wide open. The second-year wideout has been electric all season, torching defenses from the slot and outside, racking up ten games with over 100 receiving yards and four more with at least 90. He’s been the engine of Seattle’s passing attack, and as the Seahawks prepare for the biggest game of the year, there’s no question who the Patriots will be keying on.
But here’s the thing: as dominant as Smith-Njigba has been, the Seahawks can’t afford to be a one-man show-not against a Bill Belichick-coached defense, not on the Super Bowl stage. That’s the message NFL analyst Chris Simms emphasized during an appearance on Up & Adams, pointing out that Seattle needs more than just JSN to show up if they want to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
“It can’t just be Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the pass game. There’s gotta be somebody else,” Simms said. And he’s right.
Enter Rashid Shaheed.
Shaheed has been largely under the radar since arriving in Seattle, used more as a decoy than a downfield threat. But the speed is real-blazing, game-breaking speed that can stretch the field and force defenses to play honest.
That 51-yard bomb from Sam Darnold in the NFC Championship Game? That wasn’t a fluke.
It was a glimpse of what this offense could be when Shaheed is more than just window dressing.
Since the trade that brought him to Seattle, Shaheed has had two or fewer targets in six games. That’s a low usage rate for a guy who might be the fastest receiver in football. And with the Patriots likely to throw everything they’ve got at slowing down Smith-Njigba, now’s the time for Klint Kubiak to get creative and find ways to unlock Shaheed’s potential in the passing game.
Because here’s the reality: New England is going to try to make someone else beat them. That’s what Belichick does-he identifies your biggest weapon, takes it away, and dares you to adjust. And while slowing down JSN is easier said than done-he’s only had two quiet games all year, and even in one of those he found the end zone-Seattle has to be ready with a Plan B.
That starts with Shaheed. But it doesn’t end there.
This is where the rest of the offense needs to rise to the moment. The tight ends, the running backs, the secondary receivers-everyone has to chip in. Because while Smith-Njigba is the headliner, Super Bowls are won by complete performances, not solo acts.
And then there’s Sam Darnold.
Fresh off the best game of his career, Darnold has done more than enough to earn the trust of his teammates and coaching staff. But let’s be honest-he’s still the question mark.
The Patriots know it, and they’ll likely stack the box, take away the run, and force Darnold to beat them through the air. That’s the challenge.
And that’s the opportunity.
If Darnold can stay poised, if Shaheed can stretch the defense, and if the rest of the supporting cast steps up, then maybe-just maybe-Smith-Njigba won’t have to carry the entire load. He’s already proven he can. But in the Super Bowl, it’s going to take more than one star to shine.