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Next Gen Stat Of The Week: Jaxon Smith-Njigba Prolific Lined Up Out Wide

Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been nearly unstoppable when aligned out wide this season.

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Jaxon Smith-Njigba came into the league viewed by many as a slot receiver. His draft bio on NFL.com, in fact, lists "likely to be viewed as a slot-only option" as one of Smith-Njigba's weaknesses.

Smith-Njigba, of course, has disproven just about any negative perception about him that existed three years ago -- if you really want a good laugh, another weakness listed was "lacks suddenness for separation in and out of breaks" -- and Sunday's game against the Commanders was no exception.

Smith-Njigba, who had a game-high 128 yards and two touchdowns on 10 catches, did most of that damage when aligned out wide, not in the slot. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Smith-Njigba had eight catches, including both touchdowns, and 102 yards on 12 targets when aligned out wide. And for the season, Smith-Njigba, who leads the NFL in receiving yards (405) and touchdowns (6), also has the most receptions (22), yards (365) and touchdowns (5) when aligned wide.

Smith-Njigba's big game in Washington was his third straight game with at least 120 receiving yards and a touchdown, making him one of two players, along with Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice, to start a season with 120 yards and a touchdown in each of their first three games. He is also one of two players, along with Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison Sr., to have 400 yards and six touchdowns in the first three games of a season.

Check out the best game action photos from the Seahawks vs. Commanders Week 3 matchup on September 27 at Northwest Stadium.

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