Super Bowl 2026: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, New England Patriots pressure and where Super Bowl 60 could be won or lost

The NFL is down to its final two as the New England Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl 60 - but where could the game be won or lost at Levi's Stadium this Sunday?

The Seattle Seahawks enter Super Bowl 60 armed with the best player on the field, and the best player on most fields in the NFL this season. Once the apparent understudy to DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba this year ascended to a spot among the league's elite wide receivers as Sam Darnold and Klint Kubiak's prized, defining weapon on the outside. The 2023 first-round pick was just crowned Offensive Player of the Year after leading the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards to go with his 10 touchdowns. It sets up a fascinating dual with Christian Gonzalez should Mike Vrabel elect to pit his star cornerback against the most dangerous player in Sunday's game, as much only also heightening the roles of Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed.

Seattle have had the luxury of using Smith-Njigba across the formation, attacking him at all levels of the field as both a chain-mover and splash-play provider. There is a subtle and deadly art to his route-running, a disguise to his movement whereby a distinct lack of shoulder movement or body tells veil his cuts and breaks to make him an excruciating decipher job for defensive backs. His direction becomes guess work, for everybody except Darnold.