Dan Orlovsky details how Patriots could slow down Jaxson Smith-Njigba
The Patriots defense will have their hands full with the All-Pro wide receiver.
Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
A big key for the Patriots pulling out a win in Super Bowl LX will be stopping All-Pro wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba. According to ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, it’s not going to be easy.
It’s a task that not many have been up to this season as Smith-Njigba has scorched opponents en route to a league-leading 1,793 yards. The receiver’s success has carried over to the postseason as he was unstoppable in the NFC title game, catching 10 balls for 153 yards and a score.
So what’s the solution?
There might not be one.
“You don’t know where he’s going to be,” Orlovsky told 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Felger and Mazz on Wednesday. “He’s very unpredictable in his alignment, and it’s dangerous because if you sit there and say ‘We’re going to double JSN,’ what happens if JSN lines up in the backfield? What happens if he lines up in the backfield and motions all the way across the formation? Then everybody’s rules and responsibilities change.”
New England probably has two viable options when attempting to cover Smith-Njigba, one is having Christian Gonzalez attached to his hip, traveling wherever the receiver lines up on the field. The other would be a traditional double team, which means having another corner and a safety responsible for the dangerous pass catcher. That would then mean Gonzalez would be responsible to eliminate the other side of the field.
“You can be paying so much attention to JSN that then all of a sudden two or three other guys just become completely uncovered,” Orlovsky said.
Orlovsky also believes that the Patriots may have a bigger challenge taking care of Seattle’s tight ends.
“I think the starting point for New England is how do they want to handle those guys less from a matching personnel, but more of a situation,” Orlovsky said.
The former quarterback believes the Patriots will have to adjust more to the situation than just sticking with a concrete plan for all four downs. For example, Cooper Kupp has been one of the better third down receivers in football, so leaving him alone with a safety or a corner could cause problems.
The safety room as a whole could be key when slowing down Smith-Njigba, especially on earlier downs where Seattle has had more of a tendency to target the star deep.
“The safeties of New England have to be a bit more cognizant of it than Christian Gonzalez or Carlton Davis,” Orlovsky said. “I think the safeties have to be huge.”
If New England is effective in slowing down Smith-Njigba and Kupp, at least to a certain extent, it could force Sam Darnold to lean more on the likes of Jake Bobo and Rashid Shaheed.
The Patriots probably won't be able to fully eliminate Smith-Njigba on Sunday, but if they can eliminate the explosive, back-breaking plays that the receiver is capable of, they'll find themselves in a good place.
