All the Seattle Seahawks need to do in Week 18 to have a lighter path to the Super Bowl is beat the San Francisco 49ers on January 3 at Levi’s Stadium.
A win would not only extend their winning streak to seven games but also clinch the NFC West division title and secure the No. 1 seed in the conference, along with a bye week.
Nonetheless, the Seahawks received some positive news about two players when the team announced its first injury report of the week on December 30.
Because Seattle conducted only a walk-through on December 30, the team’s first injury report of the week is based on estimates, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.
Wide receiver and kick returner Rashid Shaheed, along with safety Coby Bryant, are listed as limited participants. Meanwhile, Left tackle Charles Cross did not take part, and neither did Josh Jones, who has stepped in for Cross over the past two games.
49ers Have Major Respect for Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Shaheed being available would be a significant worry for the 49ers, but another guy who will cause concern for the opposition is Jaxon Smith-Njigba. For Seattle’s passing attack to find success against the 49ers’ bend-but-don’t-break defense, Smith-Njigba has to deliver a big performance.
San Francisco are well aware of that reality and understand that limiting the Seahawks’ standout is critical to winning. On December 30, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was candid about Smith-Njigba.
“This year, in the whole league, I think he’s their leading receiver in every game but one,“ Shanahan said while speaking to the media (h/t 95.7 The Game). “He’s obviously extremely talented, as most first-round guys are, but it’s hard to know unless I read it on Madden and their awareness rating.
“But I would guess his real-life awareness rating is off the chart. He’s got very good feel in zones, how to move around. He almost plays in slow motion, but he’s one of the fastest guys out there, so a lot of respect for him.”
Smith-Njigba has had 113 catches for 1,709 yards and has scored 10 touchdowns in 16 games this season for the Seahawks, per StatMuse. Moreover, quarterback Sam Darnold will often look for his No. 1 weapon. In his last two games, Smith-Njigba has seen 25 targets.
Deommodore Lenoir Wants to Cover Seahawks’ JSN
Despite what Shanahan said, one San Francisco 49ers player left no doubt about where things stand with Smith-Njigba. Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir told reporters that the matchup is one he’s ready to embrace and that he welcomes the challenge of lining up against the Seahawks standout.
“Hopefully, I’ll get to shadow JSN,“ Lenoir told reporters in a December 29 video posted by On SI’s Grant Cohn. “I’m ready for this. I hope he ready. Man to man covers me and him. That’s what I want. Me and him.”
Although Lenoir’s comments could be seen as poking Smith-Njigba and giving the wideout bulletin board material, Shanahan didn’t downplay the confidence that the 49ers’ defensive back has in himself.
“I know [Lenoir] well enough to know that’s what he wants every week,“ Shanahan added (h/t 95.7 The Game). “Him lobbying for it really hard just makes me like him more. But we would have to deal with what is the best for our team, and schematically, what we’re going to do.”
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