It has been the JSN show on offense, but shouldering that much of a load can be problematic.
For the first three weeks of the season, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been the Seattle Seahawks' offensive star.
The defending Offensive Player of the Year has been borderline unstoppable in the first three weeks, totaling 405 yards and 6 TDs from 27 receptions, whether it is Drew Lock or Sam Darnold, JSN finds the ball.
But it is a one-man show.
The next-best receiver for yards and receptions is Cooper Kupp (101 yards and 8 receptions). That is a big gap.
In fact, JSN's 36 targets are more than double the next-best total, which is tied at 12 with Rashid Shaheed and A.J. Barner.
So Smith-Njigba is nearly doing everything himself, and there is a danger in that. No. 11 could burn out before Seattle even gets to the playoffs.
Is head coach Mike Macdonald concerned over JSN's usage in the first three weeks?
"Elite receivers play a lot, they aren't going to play 40 percent of the snaps, 11's going to be out there," a smiling Macdonald said. "He's in great shape, and he works extremely hard. He trains throughout the whole offseason- really, all three offseasons we've been here. I don't think it's that complicated, frankly. I think it's just preparation meeting opportunity."
So, you aren't going to limit his opportunities, but someone else has to come along for the ride.
Shaheed was seen as that player in the offseason, but just six receptions for 53 yards in three games isn't going to cut it. Barner's 90 yards from eight receptions is neither here nor there, and Kupp is the veteran, so we can't expect a huge workload from him.
So others like Tory Horton and even the running backs have to make plays in the passing game, because if somehow JSN is taken out of a game, say with a double team or cloud coverage, Darnold has to find other options.
Right now, he doesn't have to, as Smith-Njigba is leading every defense he plays against a merry dance. But there will come a time when the Superman cape won't work, and others will have to fill the void.
And as for the huge workload, Macdonald doesn't seem to bothered by it.
