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Jaxon Smith-Njigba may be about to explode against the 49ers defense

The way the San Francisco 49ers like to run their coverages just happens to play into what Smith-Njigba does best, and looks to be an important factor in Saturday's huge regular season finale.
Dan Viens|
Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in overtime at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in overtime at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

The game within the game will be on full display Saturday when the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers clash in a winner-take-all battle for the NFC West division title and the top seed in the NFC. And no more evident is that than when looking at the matchup between Klint Kubiak's Seattle offense, and the 49er's defense led by Robert Saleh.

And the biggest benefactor just might be the guy who's been Seattle's best offense player all year - wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

ESPN analyst DJ Bien-Aime highlighted JSN vs. Saleh's defensive scheme as the key matchup to watch when the game kicks off at 8 p.m. EST.

Turns out the coverage Saleh prefers to use the most is something that a) Smith-Njigba thrives when facing and b) the 49ers secondary simply isn't very good at.

"San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh loves Cover 4. The 49ers have played Cover 4 at the fifth-highest rate in the NFL this season (25.5%) but have given up 9 yards per target (sixth most) in Cover 4.

Seattle star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has shredded the coverage. He totaled a league-high 33 receptions for 546 yards against Cover 4, almost 200 yards more than any other player since at least 2018. Smith-Njigba has a 44.6% target rate against that coverage with 5.4 yards per route, both the highest marks of any player since 2018 (minimum 50 routes)."
DJ Bien-Aime, ESPN

In the first meeting between these two teams, Smith-Njigba caught nine passes on 13 total targets for 124 yards despite really being the only receiver targeted by quarterback Sam Darnold. Adding another layer to how this matchup looks today, news that fellow receiver Rashid Shaheed has passed the league's concussion protocol and is cleared to play Saturday might make life even tougher on the San Francisco defense. Despite a slow start after coming over at the NFL's trade deadline in November, Shaheed has provided a big-play alternative to JSN's consistent presence, and presents yet another threat to the 49er secondary.

Add to that the fact the 49ers pass rush is at or near the bottom of the league in practically every pressure category, and it stands to reason that JSN may indeed be in line for a big day by the bay on Saturday.

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Dan Viens
DAN VIENS

Dan Viens is the creator and host of the Seahawks Forever YouTube channel, where his film study, analytics breakdowns, live shows, and in-depth interviews with some of the best and brightest from the Seahawks universe have earned a rapidly growing audience of fans. Before building his digital platform, Dan worked as a television sports director and reporter and covered the Seahawks professionally as a beat reporter and columnist for Sports Illustrated, SB Nation, and VOX Media. His work reflects a commitment to thoughtful, balanced analysis—rooted in objective reporting—while still embracing the passion and perspective of a lifelong fan.

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