Jaxon Smith-Njigba supplied all the offensive fireworks Seattle needed Sunday, catching three touchdown passes from Drew Lock as the Seahawks rolled past the Arizona Cardinals 31-7 in Glendale to move to 2-0.
With Sam Darnold sidelined by a glute injury, Lock stepped into the starting lineup and quickly found Seattle’s biggest playmaker. On the Seahawks’ second snap, Lock launched a deep ball down the right sideline to Smith-Njigba, who had slipped behind the Arizona secondary. The receiver used a sharp head fake to beat cornerback Will Johnson, got past safety Budda Baker and finished an 82-yard score, the longest reception of his NFL career.
“That was my basketball move right there,” Smith-Njigba said of the fake that sprang him free.
Seattle and Arizona were tied 7-7 at halftime after Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett connected with tight end Trey McBride early in the second quarter. But Smith-Njigba took control when the Seahawks opened the second half. He got behind cornerback Max Melton on a slant route and secured a seven-yard touchdown from Lock to give Seattle the lead for good.
His third score came early in the fourth quarter, when Lock fit a throw through three Cardinals defenders on third-and-6 from the Arizona 12. Smith-Njigba finished with 155 receiving yards and three touchdowns, his first three-touchdown game since his record-setting Rose Bowl performance for Ohio State in January 2022. He had 347 receiving yards and three scores in that college bowl game.
The 24-year-old is the first Seahawk since DK Metcalf to post three receiving touchdowns in one game. He also has accounted for nearly all of Seattle’s scoring through two weeks: Smith-Njigba scored the club’s only touchdown in its 13-10 opening win over New England, and AJ Barner’s one-yard rushing score with 1:11 remaining Sunday marked the first Seattle touchdown this season by another player.
“Whenever he gets the ball, you just look at him and think he’s a wizard,” defensive lineman Leonard Williams said. “Having those kinds of playmakers on offense makes a huge difference.”
Lock delivers while Darnold recovers
Lock completed 19 of 26 passes for 235 yards and all three touchdowns to Smith-Njigba. The backup quarterback said the star receiver’s ability to uncover himself makes him difficult to defend, even when his routes do not unfold in a conventional way.
“He always finds a way to get open,” Lock said. “That’s why he’s one of the league’s best receivers.”
Coach Mike Macdonald said Darnold’s recovery outlook improved after the game. Darnold has played only five offensive snaps this season, but he could be ready to return as soon as Seattle’s Sept. 27 matchup with the Washington Commanders.
Smith-Njigba said Lock’s arm talent and field vision give the offense confidence while Darnold is unavailable. “He sees the field really well and can make every throw,” Smith-Njigba said. “I know he’s looking for me, and I want to be there for him.”
Seattle’s defense made Lock’s job easier by holding Arizona to 151 total yards, including only 44 after halftime. The Seahawks’ defense, known internally as the Dark Side, has helped fuel a franchise-best 12-game winning streak when last season’s playoff run is included.
Williams said the streak is not occupying the locker room’s attention. “Everyone is focused on being who we are,” he said.
Smith-Njigba leads the NFL with 277 receiving yards through two games and is tied with Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown for the league lead with four receiving touchdowns. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year signed a four-year, $168.8 million extension in March that made him the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver on an annual basis.
For now, Seattle’s formula is working with either quarterback: lean on a defense that gives up little, get the ball to Smith-Njigba, and let him turn opportunities into points.
