They shutout the Minnesota Vikings 26-0 in week 13, and it seemed like everybody got in on the act for the Seattle Seahawks, everybody except the NFL’s leading receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
He was held to just two catches and a mere 28 yards from only four targets. All of those numbers represented season-worst marks for the Seahawks’ star wide receiver, but Smith-Njigba explained what went wrong.
The player on course for a 2,000-yard season credited the schemes of Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores for shutting him down. Specifically, JSN told reporters after the game, including Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune, how “Coach Flores does a great job mixing up looks, and we’re just taking what they give us, and Sam (Darnold) made the best decision for the team and Zach (Charbonnet) and K9 doing their thing. It was just one of those days.”
Quarterback Sam Darnold was forced to look away from his go-to target because, as Bell pointed out, Smith-Njigba also credited “Flores’ cloud and zone schemes shading to him for Vikings limiting him to season lows of 2 catches, 4 targets, 28 yards.”
This is uncharted territory for Smith-Njigba, but he can expect to see plenty more double coverage after how successfully the Vikings were able to bracket him.
Brian Flores Gave Jaxon Smith-Njigba a New Problem
It’s no secret Seattle’s passing game works because of Smith-Njigba’s talents. He’s become a master of fooling defensive backs with subtle moves and adjustments out of his breaks, while the former Ohio State has also refined his game to become more of a vertical threat.
The latter skill is likely why Flores and the Vikings felt the need to keep a safety over the top of No. 11 exclusively. Flores won a Super Bowl as the defensive coordinator of the 2018 New England Patriots, under the watchful eye of head coach Bill Belichick, a strategist who always believed in taking away the opponent’s best weapon.
By using the same formula, Flores has shown the rest of the league how to frustrate Smith-Njigba. If football’s premier receiver is going to beat the tactic, he’s going to have to add further nuance to his route tree and be moved around formations more often by offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Seahawks coaches must make JSN tougher to find and then double, but in the meantime, the offense can lean on an improving, but underused running game.
Seahawks Found Alternatives to Stymied Passing Game
Darnold and Co. entered the game on a warning about the Flores blitz, and the Vikings’ DC didn’t disappoint. He sent pressure after Darnold early and often, with Minnesota’s defense collecting four sacks and limiting their former QB1 to a paltry 128 yards through the air.
Having little time in the pocket and seeing his primary receiver bracketed, left Darnold needing to find alternative ways to move the ball. His best contribution became handing the ball off to running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.
They combined for 108 yards and Charbonnet rushed for a touchdown. Those numbers represented the continuation of the running game going up a level against the Tennessee Titans in Week 12.
Walker and Charbonnet will need to maintain their momentum as more teams look to follow a blueprint based on hammering Darnold and keeping a crowd around Smith-Njigba.
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