Yahoo Sports NFL on Jaxon Smith-Njigba

ArticleThe good, the bad, and the s—t that gets you beat from Patriots’ loss to the Se...
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All eight of Smith-Njigba's catches for 122 yards and a touchdown, meanwhile, came against zone. He faced man coverage on only nine of his routes for a rate of 32.1% — a number that was 70% versus Gonzalez and only 11% against every other defender.
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Smith-Njigba went 0-for-2 against Gonzalez but exploited zone coverage for 8 catches, 122 yards, and a TD.

Despite being the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Smith-Njigba was effectively neutralized when lined up against Christian Gonzalez. On 10 total snaps facing Gonzalez, both passes thrown their way ended up incomplete. However, Smith-Njigba was targeted on nine of 18 routes against all other Patriots defenders, and all eight of his catches for 122 yards and a touchdown came against zone coverage. He faced man coverage on only nine of his routes for a rate of 32.1%, compared to 70% versus Gonzalez and only 11% against every other defender.

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