"If there's one person, two people that aren't executing to the best of their abilities, he's going to find that crease," Rams veteran linebacker Troy Reeder said. "And they have a unit as a whole that does a really good job of getting him started in his returns. ... You just want to contain this guy, and not let him make a play that could change the game."
The wide receiver has played out of his mind this season. He roasts every defensive coverage and has morphed into a three-level threat: beating man-coverage quickly off the snap, showing fearlessness to attack the middle of the field and stretching away from deep coverage. Klint Kubiak, the Seahawks' offensive coordinator, has channeled the entire Seattle offense through his star receiver. Smith-Njigba lines up everywhere: out wide, in the slot, in the backfield. From any of those looks, he's a matchup nightmare.
Instead, with the Seahawks trailing 28-24 and 26 seconds to play, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell with the authorization of coach Pete Carroll called for a quick slant pass from quarterback Russell Wilson to wide receiver Ricardo Lockette. New England safety Malcolm Butler got there first with an interception at the 1. The Patriots (15-4) won their fourth of six Lombardi Trophies under coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.
