Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s season keeps forcing his way into the NFL’s biggest conversation, even if the latest MVP tracker nudged him down a spot.
After Week 8, NFL.com placed the Seattle Seahawks wide receiver No. 5 overall in its latest MVP ranking, making him the highest-ranked non-quarterback on the board. The placement came on the heels of Seattle’s loss to the Chicago Bears, a result that makes the race tighter as Week 9 approaches.
Kevin Patra pointed to Smith-Njigba’s prime-time production and his massive share of the Seahawks’ offense in explaining the ranking.
“In prime time, the wideout put up 118 yards and a TD; the rest of Seattle's offense generated 134 total yards,” NFL.com’s Kevin Patra said. “No other Seahawks pass catcher had more than 26 receiving yards -- combined they totaled 70.
This season, JSN has 51.5% of the Seahawks' receiving yards and 39.2% of the receptions. Smith-Njigba's 123.1 yards per game keeps him above Calvin Johnson’s record-setting pace (1,964) and puts him on track for 2,092.7 receiving yards over 17 games.”
Ahead of Smith-Njigba on the list were Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen at No. 1, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy at No.
2, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow at No. 3 and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence at No. 4.
The numbers behind Smith-Njigba’s case are loud. He leads the league with 985 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns.
Seattle sits at 4-4, and that record makes the MVP climb steeper, since team success carries real weight when the race gets close. Still, with what he has already put on tape and the pace he’s carrying, Smith-Njigba is making a serious MVP argument through eight weeks.
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