After catching an 11-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter to give the Seattle Seahawks a 14-0 lead, Jaxon Smith-Njigba — typically reserved and quiet — leapt up and slam-dunked the football over the crossbar. The celebration drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but it hardly mattered. The third-year receiver once again let his play speak the loudest in Seattle’s 27-19 win over the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football.
Smith-Njigba caught eight passes for 123 yards, marking his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season — the most in the NFL — and became just the second player in franchise history to record three straight games over 100 yards. He also extended his league-leading total in receiving yards, continuing a breakout campaign that has turned him into one of the NFL’s most consistent offensive stars.
“As good as he’s been, it’s becoming normal,” teammate Cooper Kupp said postgame. “But people shouldn’t take what he’s doing for granted. It’s special.”
The Seahawks jumped ahead quickly thanks to field position set up by linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, who sacked C.J. Stroud for an 18-yard loss, pinning Houston at its own 1-yard line. That sack — the third-longest in franchise history — set up a short field, and Zach Charbonnet punched it in from one yard out to give Seattle a 7-0 lead.
Smith-Njigba’s end-zone dunk made it 14-0 late in the first, and Seattle looked poised to run away with it early.
Houston managed to stay within reach behind two Ka’imi Fairbairn field goals, cutting the deficit to 14-6 before halftime. But the Texans’ offense — the NFL’s No. 1 scoring defense entering the game — struggled to find rhythm against Seattle’s pressure.
Seattle’s defense stole the spotlight after halftime. Linebacker Ernest Jones IV continued his breakout season, intercepting Stroud on the Texans’ first possession of the third quarter. Dropping into coverage, Jones stepped in front of a pass intended for Nico Collins and returned it 28 yards, setting up a 26-yard field goal by Jason Myers to push the lead to 17-6.
Jones was everywhere — recording a game-high 11 tackles, four solo stops, one tackle for loss, and a pass defended. His interception was his third of the season, a new career high, and he now leads Seattle in interceptions, total tackles, and solo tackles.
“Ernest has been our heartbeat,” coach Mike Macdonald said. “He’s playing at an All-Pro level right now.”
The Texans briefly gained life in the third quarter when Will Anderson Jr. strip-sacked Darnold in the end zone and recovered the ball for a touchdown, trimming Seattle’s lead to 17-12 after a failed two-point try.
But the Seahawks’ offense responded, as Charbonnet powered in for his second touchdown of the night — a two-yard score that put Seattle up 27-12 with 3:41 left in the third quarter.
Stroud eventually connected with Woody Marks for a four-yard touchdown pass with just over two minutes remaining, but Houston’s late surge wasn’t enough. The Texans fell to 2-4, snapping a two-game winning streak.
Despite some improvement this season, Houston’s offensive line took a step back Monday. Stroud was sacked three times and hit seven more by Seattle’s defensive front.
“Too many breakdowns,” said right tackle Tytus Howard. “We’ve been better, but tonight we weren’t good enough.”
Stroud has now been sacked 18 times through seven games — a better pace than last year’s 52-sack total, but still a concern for head coach DeMeco Ryans, who called his line’s performance “sloppy.”
The victory improved Seattle to 5-2 and moved them into a tie atop the NFC West with the 49ers and Rams heading into their bye week. More importantly, it brought their home record to 2-2, a welcome turnaround after last season’s disappointing 3-6 mark at Lumen Field.
“Lumen should be a place people don’t want to play,” Macdonald said. “The energy tonight was exactly what we needed.”
Seattle’s defense made sure it stayed that way — loud, relentless, and opportunistic.
Texans (2-4): Host the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday. Seahawks (5-2): Enter their bye week before visiting the Washington Commanders on Nov. 2.
