Pats Pulpit on Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Exploited Gonzalez mismatch (1 catch vs. 7 when not covered); coverage strategy context

When Stephon Gonzalez covered Jaxon Smith-Njigba against Seattle, JSN had 1 catch for 5 yards. When not covered by Gonzalez, JSN had 7 receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown; even without the 45-yard TD, he had 6 receptions for 72 yards. The source explains that having a cornerback follow the opposition's No. 1 receiver all game is difficult to execute due to the domino effect in zone coverages and the need for secondary adjustments. However, the source notes it may be more doable against Pittsburgh this week, which largely staples D.K. Metcalf to the outside, suggesting a different coverage approach may be feasible.

Jaxon Smith-NjigbaWR · SEAPlayer page — value, ADP, projections, and every insight