ASU Football: Devils NFL Week Four Preview
Week three of the 2020 NFL regular season saw an array of Arizona State Sun Devils make their mark on the gridiron, with a young duo of pass-catchers leading the way.
San Francisco 49ers rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk caught five passes on eight targets for 70 yards while adding over 20 rushing yards and his first touchdown at the professional level. Aiyuk’s 101 all-purpose yards led the team. New England Patriots receiver N’Keal Harry had a rather quiet day, reeling in two receptions on four targets for 34 yards.
Moving forward to week four, a total of fourteen former Sun Devils find themselves on NFL rosters, including safety Damarious Randall who now finds himself as the newest member of the Seattle Seahawks.
Looking ahead to notable ASU representation in week four of the NFL:
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Date: Sunday, October 4 at 8:20 PM ET (NBC)
With fellow receiver, Deebo Samuel cleared to return from the injured reserve and tight end George Kittle practicing with a knee injury after missing the previous two games, Aiyuk’s days as San Francisco’s number one passing option were short-lived. However, that shouldn’t limit his impact, as Aiyuk’s proven to be a valuable weapon moving forward. A week four match-up with an Eagles secondary allowing 252 yards per game to receivers (13th in the NFL) will test the waters to see how Aiyuk can mold himself in a 49ers offense with two prominent pass-catching options moving forward. Should Kittle not be able to go, look for Aiyuk to be counted on once again.
N’Keal Harry, WR, New England Patriots
Date: Sunday, October 4 at 4:25 PM ET (CBS)
Harry and the rest of the Patriots travel to Kansas City to take on a Chiefs secondary that ranks in the top-five for yards allowed to receivers (220.3). Patrick Mahomes and company have been on fire as of late, and that looks to continue on Sunday. Whether it be a shootout or a blowout, New England’s passing attack looks to get a plethora of work should Kansas City handle business, boding well for Harry’s workload. Harry’s gotten off to a slow start in 2020, with no touchdowns and a season-high of 72 receiving yards. Sunday’s expected aerial outlook appears to be his best opportunity yet to make his mark.
Other Sun Devils in Action:
Kalen Ballage (New York Jets)- Played on Thursday Night Football. Caught two passes on three targets for 11 yards with no rushing attempts in a loss to the Denver Broncos.
Lawrence Guy (New England Patriots)- Guy’s 55% of snaps played leads all defensive tackles for the Patriots thus far, with only three players on the defensive side of the ball playing more than Guy. Only one rushing touchdown has been scored on the Patriots’ defense, and Guy’s presence has been pivotal in preserving that category. Guy will have his hands full with Kansas City’s flamethrower of an offense come Sunday.
Zane Gonzalez (Arizona Cardinals)- Gonzalez currently has made 5/7 field goals through three games, hitting field goals of 56 and 54 yards thus far. Gonzalez has benefited greatly from Arizona’s offense, which visits a Carolina Panthers defense allowing 382 yards per game and 27 points per game, giving a great outlook for Gonzalez’s opportunities.
Matt Haack (Miami Dolphins)- Who doesn’t love punters? Haack’s 44.3 net yards per punt ranks fifth in the NFL while being one of 13 punters in the league to have pinned five or punts within the 20-yard line. The Dolphins have converted just 16 third-down opportunities thus far, giving Haack plenty of practice early on.
Players on Injured/COVID-19 List:
Tommy Hudson, TE, Tennessee Titans
D.J. Foster, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Renell Wren, DL, Cincinnati Bengals
Practice Squad/Inactive:
Jamil Douglas, OL, Tennessee Titans
Damarious Randall, S, Seattle Seahawks
Cohl Cabral, OL, Los Angeles Rams
Quinn Bailey, OL, Denver Broncos
