ASU Football: Checking In On Sun Devils In The NFL Week 2
Week two provided so much excitement with more than half the league scoring at least 28 points. We got to see some former Sun Devils make their season debut, and another have a career day.
So let’s check in on those Sun Devils around the NFL to see how they fared in week two.
N’Keal Harry
This game could be Harry’s coming out party. He led the team in targets (12), finished tied for the team lead in catches (8), and was second on the day in receiving yards (72).
What this game showed us is how Harry is Cam Newton’s safety blanket. On the final drive of the game, when the Patriots needed a touchdown to win, Harry caught 3 balls for 42 yards on four targets. His final catch put the Patriots on the 1-yard line with Harry learning from his fumbling mistake the week prior.
If Newton continues to look for Harry in the redzone and in the clutch, he will have a huge year two.
Brandon Aiyuk
The sentiment from Aiyuk and coach Kyle Shanahan after the game was the rookie still has a lot of room to improve.
Aiyuk had an up-and-down debut - he made a couple of catches for 21 yards, where he was able to flash some speed after the reception and break a couple of tackles. But he also made some rookie mistakes, which was expected after barely practicing the last couple of weeks because of a hamstring injury.
We’ll see if Aiyuk will have the opportunity to build his connection with Jimmy G after the quarterback suffered an ankle sprain in Sunday’s matchup.
Lawrence Guy
Looking at the box score, Guy didn’t have a great statistical day. But his presence was felt on multiple plays.
His two tackles and two QB hits aren’t eye-popping, but he was great at applying pressure on Russell Wilson and slowing down Seattle’s running attack. The defensive captain plugged up the holes when called upon, making it a solid game for Guy.
Zane Gonzalez
After missing two kicks last week against the San Francisco 49ers, Gonzalez righted his mistakes against the Washington Football team.
He went 3-for-3 on both field goal and extra-point attempts, even nailing a 49-yarder. The only scoring the Cardinals were able to manage in the second quarter was courtesy of Gonzalez’s leg. A nice bounce game for the former Sun Devil.
Matt Haack
Haack outdid his week one performance in this game.
He smashed five punts for an average of 52.4 yards, with the longest being 63 yards. His three punts inside the 20 made the Buffalo Bills drive nearly the length of the field, repeatedly.
D.J Foster
After being active but not playing week one, Foster was given 17 snaps on special teams against Washington. Unfortunately, he hurt his quad muscle and was placed on the Practice Squad/Injured Reserve list.
Kalen Ballage
Ballage didn’t get much run in his New York Jets debut. He ran it one time for 5 yards and caught two balls for 12 yards.
Hopefully, he gets more opportunities in the future, now that he is reunited with his former Dolphins head coach.
Eno Benjamin and Jamil Douglass
Both players were inactive for the second straight week.