Owls in the NFL - Week 4

Owls in the NFL - Week 4

10.6.20 | Football

By: Cam Markt

PHILADELPHIA – As the calendar turned to October, Owls continue to find success in the NFL with 15 players contributing to their respective teams this week.

The action started early in the week on Thursday night with kicker Brandon McManus (2009-12) and the Denver Broncos facing the New York Jets. McManus ended up being one of the heroes for the Broncos, hitting a 53-yard field goal to put Denver up 30-28 with under four minutes to go, which ended up being the game-winning score. McManus also converted his two other field goal attempts from 40 and 54 yards and went 4-of-4 on extra points in the 37-28 win.

Carolina and head coach Matt Rhule have found their groove as they won their second game in a row, defeating Arizona 31-21. Wide receiver Robby Anderson (2011-13, 2015) had a team-high eight receptions for 99 yards in the win. Anderson is averaging over 94 receiving yards per game so far this year, good for 10^th in the NFL. Captain linebacker Tahir Whitehead (2008-11) totaled four tackles on defense, tight end Colin Thompson (2014-16) saw significant action on offense, providing a key block on a Mike Davis rushing touchdown to open the scoring, and rookie safety Sam Franklin (2016-19) earned meaningful time on special teams. Another former Owl, Arizona linebacker Haason Reddick (2013-16), had a tackle in the loss against his former coach and teammates.

Washington rookie wide receiver Isaiah Wright (2016-19) again got the start and continued to be a versatile part of Washington's offense, seeing the field for over 80% of the team's offensive snaps. Wright ended up with four receptions for 20 yards, got a handoff for a nine-yard carry, and saw action as the primary punt and kick returner in the 31-17 loss to Baltimore.

Houston linebacker Jacob Martin (2014-17) and Minnesota rookie cornerback Harrison Hand (2019) faced off against each other on Sunday, with Hand and Minnesota emerging victorious 31-23. Martin recorded three tackles on the day, while Hand saw action on special teams.

Indianapolis cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (2018) returned from injury and logged a tackle and a pass breakup in a stellar defensive performance from the Colts, with the team not allowing a touchdown until the final two minutes in a 19-11 win over Chicago.

Buffalo captain offensive tackle Dion Dawkins (2013-16) again led a strong offensive line performance for the Bills, only allowing one sack and letting Josh Allen pass for 274 yards in a 30-23 win against Las Vegas. Alongside Dawkins, linebacker Tyler Matakevich (2012-15) saw significant action on special teams in the win.

Giants safety Sean Chandler (2014-17) contributed on special teams throughout the game in a 17-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. On Sunday night, Philadelphia rookie linebacker Shaun Bradley (2016-19) saw action on defense and special teams and recorded a tackle on a punt return in the Eagles first win of the year over San Francisco 25-20. Lastly, on Monday night, Atlanta center Matt Hennessy (2016-19) saw snaps on the offensive line in a 30-16 loss to Green Bay.