Michigan State football: How’d Spartans in the NFL fare in Week 3?

Former Michigan State football players thrived during Week 3 action in the NFL. How did each of them do this past weekend?

Week 3 of the NFL is officially in the rearview mirror and some former Michigan State football stars thrived.

We’ve seen guys like Kirk Cousins and Will Gholston do well in the league for years, but the veterans are now joined by some young Spartans who are really proving themselves in the NFL.

So without further ado, let’s check in on some Spartans in the NFL and how they fared in Week 3.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Vikings

Let’s get this out of the way and say that the Vikings’ 0-3 start is not Kirk Cousins’ fault. He’s been playing at a high level this season and the Vikings just can’t seem to close anyone out. Through three games, he’s on pace to have a career year with over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. Against the Chargers in Week 3, he passed for 367 yards and three touchdowns with one pick on 32-of-50 completions. If Minnesota can turn things around and become a playoff contender, Kirk could be a legit MVP candidate.

Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seahawks

A week after scoring two touchdowns to beat the Lions, Kenneth Walker III scored another two to help the Seahawks beat the Panthers. Along with those two touchdowns, the second-year star had 97 yards on 18 carries and had 59 receiving yards. He continues to be a threat to break off a long run every time he touches the ball and he’s juking defenders out of their shoes regularly. He has 204 yards and four touchdowns through three games. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Jayden Reed, WR, Packers

Yet another offensive starter from Michigan State football in the NFL, Jayden Reed has broken out for the Packers through three games. He has nine catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns through three weeks as a rookie. On Sunday, he helped engineer a Packer comeback win over the Saints, recording an incredible diving catch late in the fourth quarter to set up the game-winning touchdown. He finished the game with three catches for 63 yards.

Connor Heyward, TE/FB, Steelers

One of the best comeback players in recent years for Michigan State, Connor Heyward has created a nice role for himself in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, he didn’t record any stats in Week 3 outside of a run for no yards and zero catches on two targets. He has two catches for 19 yards in 2023.

Bryce Baringer, P, Patriots

Bryce Baringer had his most active game as an NFL punter on Sunday, booting the ball eight times for an average of just over 40 yards. Don’t let the modest average fool you, a lot of the punts were already on a shorter field where he had to pin the Jets deep inside their own 20 and he did so four times. He didn’t have any touchbacks either which is a major positive. He had over 320 punt yards on eight kicks on Sunday. On the season, he is averaging 43.5 yards per punt with 10 of his 17 boots inside the 20-yard line. A very underrated aspect of his performance this year has been his holding on field goal and PAT attempts — he made a nice play or two on Sunday on shaky snaps.

Will Gholston, DE, Buccaneers

It’s been a quiet season for Will Gholston so far, but he just had his best game against the Eagles, recording three tackles. He has four total tackles on the season for the Buccaneers.

Ameer Speed, CB/ST, Patriots

Ameer Speed has been playing primarily special teams this year and he made his first NFL tackle on Sunday against the Jets.

Naquan Jones, DT, Titans

Still trying to carve out a consistent role with the Titans, Naquan Jones finds himself as a reserve and he recorded his third total tackle of the season in a loss to the Browns on Sunday afternoon.

Guys like Brian Allen (dealing with injuries), Joe Bachie, and Taybor Pepper have all appeared in games this season. Pepper is the starting long snapper for the 49ers and is seemingly one of the better ones in the league.