Jaxon Smith-Njigba turned Seattle’s Week 2 matchup into a personal showcase, catching three touchdown passes in the Seahawks’ 31-7 rout of the Arizona Cardinals. The wide receiver posted 155 yards on nine receptions and opened the scoring with an 82-yard touchdown, the longest score of his NFL career.
Smith-Njigba, whose grandparents have roots in Sierra Leone, connected with Drew Lock for each of his three touchdowns. The first came on Seattle’s opening offensive possession and set the pace for a one-sided afternoon.
Quick facts
- Smith-Njigba had nine catches for 155 yards and three touchdowns against Arizona.
- His 82-yard opening touchdown surpassed his previous career-long score by 19 yards.
- Seattle beat the Cardinals 31-7, with AJ Barner adding the Seahawks’ other touchdown.
- Carolina linebacker Bobby Okereke recorded an interception, nine tackles and a quarterback hit in a 34-3 win over Atlanta.
- Okereke has a forced fumble and an interception through his first two games with the Panthers.
The third- and fourth-quarter scores completed Smith-Njigba’s three-touchdown day, while tight end AJ Barner found the end zone late for Seattle. Smith-Njigba is pursuing a second consecutive Offensive Player of the Year award after helping the Seahawks reach the Super Bowl in February.
Carolina also received a major defensive contribution from Bobby Okereke in its 34-3 demolition of the Atlanta Falcons. The linebacker, who joined the Panthers after playing for the New York Giants, intercepted a Cooper Rush pass in the first quarter after Devin Lloyd had deflected it into his path.
Okereke briefly appeared to have another interception before replay reversed the ruling. He still finished with nine tackles, including six solo stops, plus a quarterback hit as Carolina earned its first victory of the season.
The 30-year-old, whose parents are Nigerian, forced a fumble in Carolina’s Week 1 loss to the Chicago Bears. His early production has given the Panthers a return on their offseason acquisition.
Other notable performances
New York Jets edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare registered a sack and forced fumble against the Green Bay Packers, the team where he began his career. Enagbare, who is of Nigerian descent, was on the wrong end of a 20-17 Jets loss to his former club.
Tampa Bay’s Emeka Egbuka opened strongly against the Cleveland Browns with a touchdown reception. The Buccaneers receiver, whose father is Nigerian, and quarterback Baker Mayfield narrowly missed on a potential late game-winning connection.
Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard scored a touchdown in Carolina’s win over Atlanta. Hubbard was born in Sherwood Park, Canada, and has Igbo heritage.
Elsewhere, Zimbabwean linebacker Nate Landman returned from injury for the Los Angeles Rams and made seven tackles, including one tackle for loss, in Monday night’s 28-6 victory over the New York Giants. Nigeria-born Falcons defensive lineman Samson Ebukam recorded half a sack in Atlanta’s defeat to Carolina.
Off the NFL field, Nigerian defensive lineman Augustine Irek committed to Vanderbilt after raising his profile at the NFL Academy.
