Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba Says New Coaching Regime Is Better After Bold Sam Darnold Claim
This year, the Seattle Seahawks head coach, Mike Macdonald, has made major changes to their offense. He brought in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and quarterback Sam Darnold to the team. So far, it’s working. This year, they have a 3-1 win-loss record after 4 weeks. Last year, they had a similar record but lost the week 5 and 6 games. Their wide receiver
During the October 2 episode of The Rich Eisen Show
The wide receiver gave full credit to the coaching regime and the number of reps that they are making them do. This has improved the entire offense as a whole, where all the role players are taking their roles seriously and doing what is expected of them.
Macdonald brought in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to replace Ryan Grubb, aiming to emphasize a stronger run game. The offenses Kubiak previously coordinated generally featured moderate rushing tendencies. The 2021 Vikings ranked 11th in designed rush rate at 39.6%, while the 2024 Saints were 14th at 39.8%. During the six games he called plays for the Broncos in the second half of 2022, Denver ranked 20th with a 35.9% rush rate.
Seattle’s offense in 2024, during their 17-game season, totaled 6,006 yards, with 4,379 passing and 1,627 rushing, scoring 375 points. In 2025, through the first 4 games, they have 1,363 total yards, 920 passing, and 443 rushing, scoring 111 points. The passing game stays steady, rushing is down, but points per game are slightly higher early in 2025.
Over the full 2023 season, Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 63 catches on 93 targets for 628 yards, averaging 10 yards per catch with 4 touchdowns. In 2024, over 17 games, he improved to 100 catches on 137 targets for 1,130 yards, 11.3 yards per catch, and 6 TDs. In 2025, through the first 4 games, he has 26 catches on 34 targets for 402 yards, averaging 15.5 yards per catch with 1 score.
This shows his 2025 performance is on an upward curve, with bigger plays and higher yardage per catch early in the season.
The QB-WR duo has found connections on the gridiron, too. During the season opener, Darnold often passed to Smith-Njigba. When asked, the quarterback Darnold replied, “
Also, when they signed Sam Darnold back in the offseason, the receiver was over the moon. So, his excitement is reaping benefits for the Hawks.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba bonded well with Sam Darnold over the offseason
The offseason is the time when you put in the hard work in silence. And in 2025, the Hawks put that strategy into action. Why? Mike Macdonald learned a heartbreaking truth. They won 10 games last year, but couldn’t qualify for the playoffs. So, this year, he doesn’t want to leave anything to chance.
When Smith-Njigba heard they signed the 7-year veteran on a 3-year $100.5 million contract, he knew that Darnold was here for the long run. Moreover, there was no time to waste.
While revealing their off-season plan, Jaxon Smith-Njigba added, “Yeah, I mean, as soon as we got Sam, I honestly hit him up like, ‘Hey, what’s it going to look like in the summertime?” So, as soon as we got a little break, we made sure to keep working just to clean up some things and feel good going into camp. All the guys went out to LA and got some work in. It was a great time just to bond outside the field and also get some work in
Now, all those efforts are paying off. But they still cannot breathe easily. The NFC West division is one of the most competitive in the league. And if they make a mistake, it might come back to haunt them in January. That’s when it will also hurt them the most. Right now, they have a solid plan. All they have to do is execute.
Former Steelers Receiver Melts Down With 14 Drops and Sideline Outburst for Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys’ 31-14 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 3 will be remembered for all the wrong reasons — especially for wide receiver George Pickens, who made history in the worst possible way.
With CeeDee Lamb sidelined by injury, Pickens was expected to step into the No. 1 receiver role and provide Dak Prescott with a reliable target. Instead, the third-year wideout struggled mightily, dropping a staggering 14 passes — the most ever recorded in a single NFL game.
Pickens finished the contest with just three receptions, one touchdown, and the ignominious record that left Cowboys fans groaning. Despite being Prescott’s primary target all afternoon, he repeatedly let catchable balls slip through his hands, stalling drives and killing momentum for the Dallas offense.
George Pickens is CRASHING OUT on the bench. pic.twitter.com/YDolklJVDX
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 21, 2025
Adding to the frustration, cameras caught Pickens slamming his helmet to the ground on the sideline and shouting angrily at teammates after yet another failed connection. The image quickly spread on social media, symbolizing the Cowboys’ disastrous afternoon in Chicago.
While Pickens did manage to score a short touchdown in the first half, his string of miscues overshadowed any positives. Each drop fueled louder criticism from fans who expected him to rise to the occasion with Lamb unavailable.
For a Cowboys team already facing questions about its defense, Pickens’ struggles only magnified the issues. What should have been his breakout opportunity turned into one of the most forgettable performances by a receiver in recent memory.
As Dallas prepares for a must-win matchup against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, all eyes will be on whether Pickens can rebound — or if this nightmare outing will linger as a defining moment in his season.
