Smith-Njigba’s Dunk Celebration Lifts Seahawks Over Texans 27-19

Jaxon Smith-Njigba surprised everyone with a spontaneous celebration after scoring his fourth touchdown of the season, helping the Seattle Seahawks beat the Houston Texans 27-19 on Monday night.

The quiet and focused Smith-Njigba, who leads the NFL in receiving yards this season, caught an 11-yard pass from quarterback Sam Darnold late in the first quarter. After crossing into the end zone, he leapt and slam-dunked the football on the goalpost crossbar. The celebration earned him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but it also fired up his team and fans.

“That was very spontaneous,” Smith-Njigba said. “I’ve seen my favorites do it growing up, but that just happened in the moment.”

Smith-Njigba finished the game with eight receptions for 123 yards — his fifth 100-yard game of the season and third in a row. He became only the second player in Seahawks history to achieve three straight 100-yard games.

Star receiver Cooper Kupp praised his teammate, saying, “There’s nothing routine about what he’s doing. It takes a lot of hard work to perform like that every week.”

The Seahawks struck first when running back Zach Charbonnet scored from one yard out to make it 7-0 in the first quarter. The scoring opportunity came after linebacker Uchenna Nwosu sacked Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud for an 18-yard loss — one of the longest sacks in team history.

Charbonnet later added another two-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, extending Seattle’s lead to 27-12.

Houston’s first touchdown came when Darnold was strip-sacked in his own end zone, allowing Will Anderson Jr. to recover the fumble for a Texans score. Quarterback C.J. Stroud later threw a four-yard touchdown pass to running back Woody Marks, cutting the deficit late in the fourth quarter.

Despite the loss, Stroud credited his defense, saying, “Our defense kept us in the game. We just need to score more points.”

The Texans also got two field goals from Ka’imi Fairbairn, while Seattle’s Jason Myers converted two of his three attempts. With this win, the Seahawks improved to 5-2, tying for first place in the NFC West with the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.

Linebacker Ernest Jones IV had a standout performance with an interception, 11 total tackles, and a key defensive play that led to a Seahawks field goal. “He’s the quarterback of our defense,” teammate Leonard Williams said.

Houston’s offensive line continued to struggle as Stroud was sacked three times and hit seven more. Tackle Tytus Howard admitted the team lacked energy early on. “We were complacent today,” he said.

The victory improved Seattle’s home record to 2-2 this season. Coach Mike Macdonald praised the atmosphere at Lumen Field, saying, “The 12s were amazing tonight. Our crowd brought the energy.”

The Seahawks now enter their bye week tied atop the division and feeling confident. “It’s the perfect time for a break,” Williams added. “We’re in a good spot and proud of what we’ve done so far.”

Seattle’s Dareke Young suffered a hip injury and did not return. The team also played without linebacker Derick Hall and two defensive backs, Julian Love and Devon Witherspoon.
Houston’s Nico Collins was evaluated for a concussion and did not return, while Christian Kirk, Dameon Pierce, and Darrell Taylor were already sidelined.