'Lean On Us!' Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba 'Likes the Pressure' vs. Steelers
Two weeks ago, the Seattle Seahawks needed 92 yards and a score to keep their playoff hopes alive. Less than two minutes of game time later, backup quarterback Drew Lock would find rookie receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the end zone’s right sideline for six points.
The Seahawks beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football 20-17 and their first-round pick had officially arrived.
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In Week 16, with starter Geno Smith back in the fold, Seattle once again was faced with an opportunity to save its season. Faced with a 3rd and 14 coming out of the two-minute warning, the margin for error was non-existent. The Seahawks turned to their rookie. Nine players later, their 75-yard drive would end in a score.
Seattle now stands at 8-7 with the NFC’s seventh seed in hand and a one-game lead on the rest of the pack. Winning one of the remaining two games would make them a heavy favorite to make the mid-January dance. Fans can expect Smith-Njigba to continue to perform in the season’s biggest moments, should they get there.
Smith-Njigba spoke on Thursday about the attitude of the receiver room ahead of the final stretch of the regular season.
“I would say our mindset since I have been in the room has been ‘Lean on us,’” the rookie said. “Lean on the receivers, we’re going to get open and make plays. That came out to be in a couple of these games and we like the pressure, we like those situations, and we like to make plays. So hopefully, that continues.
Smith-Njigba hasn’t lit up the box score – combining for 10 catches, 109 yards, and a score in these last two weeks – but converting all but one of his targets in that stretch has been encouraging.
Expectations for the 20th pick were high, and it’s fair to suggest that from a pure production standpoint, those haven’t been hit. Yet, his presence late in the year has been immeasurable.
He’s been a critical part of an offense that has stuck around until the final whistle, and after some turbulence, fought with its back against the wall – and won.
“I believe it says they can trust me, plain and simple,” Smith-Njigba said. “To get my job done, to execute. I feel like that was a big part of the reason they chose me to be here, to make those big plays when I need to. I just need to stay focused, stay locked in, and catch the next ball.”
That next ball will likely come on Sunday, when Seattle (8-7) hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7), similarly fighting for their playoff lives. With a growing assortment of important catches to his name, he’s primed to strike against Pittsburgh’s secondary.
