New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez will have his hands full during a marquee matchup that could sway Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks.
New England’s red-hot defense must find ways to slow down Jaxon Smith-Njigba at Levi’s Stadium. The 23-year-old has blossomed into arguably the NFL’s best wide receiver during his third season, leading the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards.
Gonzalez looked ahead to his matchup against the fellow Pro Bowler when speaking to reporters on Thursday.
“Amazing receiver,” Gonzalez said. “Can run every route in the route tree. They do a real good job of getting him the ball, and he’s a competitor. He loves the competition. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be fun to see him and his whole offense. They’re the other best team.”
Smith-Njigba tallied the NFL’s fourth-most catches (119) during the regular season, and his 79 first downs trailed NFC West rival Puka Nacua by one for the NFL lead. The former Ohio State star hasn’t slowed down in the playoffs, scoring a touchdown in each win and registering 153 yards in an NFC Championship Game triumph over the Los Angeles Rams.
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JSN is now 35 away from joining Nacua and Cooper Kupp as the third player to register a 2,000-yard receiving season, playoffs included. Gonzalez and the Patriots still shouldn’t mind if he settles for that modest number in the Super Bowl.
New England has held opponents to 415 combined passing yards in three playoff victories. Only Zay Flowers has exceeded 65 receiving yards in the AFC champion’s last 10 games, nine of which the Patriots won.
Containing Smith-Njigba could be the key to New England completing an improbable championship run, and Gonzalez will play a massive role in those efforts. Super Bowl LX kicks off on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 6:30 p.m. ET.
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Featured image via Eric Canha/Imagn Images
