The Seattle Seahawks will play versus their division rival San Francisco 49ers in Week 5. There's always added intensity to a rivalry game. That's especially true of the Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. Deommodore Lenoir matchup, which consistently adds a layer of excitement to this game.
JSN and Lenoir have often shared their friendly and competitive disdain for one another. Their matchups have included on-field physicality and off-field trash talk. Hopefully new 49ers DC Raheem Morris will allow Lenoir to travel with Smith-Njigba around the formation.
Smith-Njigba produced 227 yards and a touchdown in three games versus the 49ers last season, according to Michael-Shawn Dugar. That included the Seahawks' NFC Championship Game triumph over the 49ers. They
haven't figured out how to slow down JSN.
Deommodore Lenoir's disdain for JSN adds some juice to the SEA-SF rivalry. And, to Deommodore's credit, he's playing well in the matchup. Here are what I believe are all his targets versus JSN last year.
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) October 9, 2026
Problem for SF: JSN still had 227 yards and a TD in the 3 games lol https://t.co/032qyu9ziR pic.twitter.com/zSao8a8yfu
Smith-Njigba currently ranks 3rd in the NFL in receiving yards. It's worth noting first place CeeDee Lamb already played this week via Thursday Night Football. If JSN dominates the 49ers, he could move into first place.
Pro Football Focus has credited Lenoir with allowing 16 receptions on 24 targets this season for 106 yards and one touchdown. The former Oregon cornerback has limited explosive plays and scores. We're always excited about the Seahawks-49ers, and JSN-Lenoir is a big reason why.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: JSN vs. Lenoir always adds layer of excitement to Seahawks-49ers
