All eyes will be on the Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez.
Super Bowl LX is loaded with many fascinating matchups.
MVP runner-up Drake Maye vs. underdog Sam Darnold.
Two coaches fresh into their tenure with their teams.
Two dominant front sevens that are in a groove this postseason.
These matchups between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots are fun and all ... but they won't be facing each other head-to-head on the field.
Except for this one: Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
ESPN pins this as a "best on best" battle, where the outcome of the entire game could be determined by which player has more success against the other.
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"JSN" is fresh off being crowned the 2025 AP Offensive Player of the Year after having the best receiver season in Seahawks franchise history. He led the NFL with 1,793 yards on 119 catches with 10 touchdowns.
"Gonzo" is on the other side as one of the league's brightest talents at arguably the toughest defensive position to play. There are only a handful of cornerbacks you'd want to build your secondary around, and Gonzalez is one of them. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod this year and was a Second Team All-Pro selection in 2024, his first full year as a starter.
How will either side move the chess pieces in this matchup?
Smith-Njigba was primarily a slot receiver when he first entered the league, but has since expanded his game to cover all parts of the line of scrimmage. If he remains inside, analyst Ben Solak scouts that New England may not need to send a specific defender to him.
"Whether Gonzalez will travel with him is an interesting question," Solak ponders. "In his first two seasons with the Patriots -- when the defense played more man coverage -- Gonzalez regularly followed the opponent's best WR (not to the slot but on the outside). ... This season, as the Patriots have run more zone and enjoyed a strong CB2 in Carlton Davis III, Gonzalez has primarily stayed to one side of the field, lining up as the right cornerback on 72% of snaps."
In 2025, Gonzalez has still shown that he can shadow an opposing wideout. Take Week 10 for example, when he stayed with Emeka Egbuka of the Buccaneers, or two weeks later when Ja'Marr Chase was out and he tracked the Bengals' Tee Higgins.
Wherever he is, Smith-Njigba's biggest strength is his elusiveness in getting off the line, creating separation and making sure-handed grabs. He isn't the most physical at the snap, but he has otherwordly quickness to avoid getting pressed.
Another fun wrinkle in this rivalry?
Both players are from the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. Smith-Njigba hails from Rockwall while Gonzalez grew up in Carrollton, about a half-hour drive away.
Each side has their advantages on the field, but Smith-Njigba's recent rhythm makes him an early pick to have the ultimate edge, especially if the Seahawks send him in motion and note how the Patriots cover him early.
"The lean in this matchup goes to Smith-Njigba, who is on the sort of heater that doesn't get stopped by any one mere mortal," Solak said. "The Patriots will pitch plenty of coverage changeups his way, but there's only so much you can do on the chalkboard against an offense that uses a receiver like JSN so creatively..."