Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a human highlight reel all by himself in the first half as the Seahawks took a 17-13 lead at halftime over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game.
Smith-Njigba has posted some pretty ridiculous first-half statistics, which might lead him to potentially become the top wide receiver in NFL history for a playoff game.
NFL WRs Pack on Yardage In Playoff Games
At the half, Smith-Njigba had 11 catches for 115 yards and one nifty touchdown grab. After Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold couldn’t connect on a pass play in the second quarter, he came right back and hit the star wideout, who was wide open, for a touchdown.
Before that touchdown catch, though, Smith-Njigba made some highlight-reel catches in the field.
art. 🎨 pic.twitter.com/ZHKxIVBqPK
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 26, 2026
How good was Smith-Njigba’s first half? ESPN Insights put out some interesting statistics as the Seahawks and Rams were in their locker rooms. The post on X read, “Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 115 receiving yards is the most in the first half of a Conference Championship game since Chris Hogan had 117 in the 2016 AFC Championship”.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 115 receiving yards is the most in the first half of a Conference Championship game since Chris Hogan had 117 in the 2016 AFC Championship 🔥 pic.twitter.com/uln04bVAGz
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) January 26, 2026
Now that Smith-Njigba is in the second half, who holds the record for most receiving yards in an NFL playoff game? Well, it’s not a name that you hear a lot when talking about top NFL wide receivers.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Eric Moulds sits in the No. 1 spot. He amassed 240 receiving yards in an AFC Wild Card Game in 1999 against the Miami Dolphins. In second place is the Minnesota Vikings’ Anthony Carter, who had 227 receiving yards in a 1988 NFC Divisional Round game against the San Francisco 49ers.
A couple of Indianapolis Colts wide receivers sit in the Nos. 3 and 4 spots, respectively. T.Y. Hilton had 224 yards back in 2014 in an AFC Wild Card Game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Then, in a 2005 AFC Wild Card Game against the Denver Broncos, Reggie Wayne put up 221 receiving yards.
Carolina Panthers’ wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. totaled 218 yards in an NFC Divisional Round game back in 2006 against the Chicago Bears. Then, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice put up 215 receiving yards in a Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in 1989.
Rounding out the top 10 are Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions, the late Demaryius Thomas of the Denver Broncos, Gabe Davis of the Bills, and Tom Fears of the Rams.
So, Smith-Njigba can put his name among some of the elite wide receivers in NFL history should he have a massive second half against the Rams. He’ll need to match and eclipse his first-half totals, though, to make it happen in Seattle.
