SF49ers: 3 players who will feast on Seahawks weak defense

No. 2: SF 49ers Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk

To say the Seahawks secondary has faltered in the first half of the 2020 season would be a massive understatement.

Their pass defense is currently last in the league, allowing 367 yards passing per game. In total, the defense is giving up 425.2 yards per game and 33.8 points per game through six contests, the most in NFL history.

With No. 1 wide receiver Deebo Samuel out with a hamstring injury, rookie wideout Brandon Aiyuk looks to build on last week’s six-catch, 115-yard performance against the Patriots. He, along with fellow receivers Kendrick Bourne and Trent Taylor, must be licking his chops when reviewing the tape of Seattle’s defensive secondary.

Kyle Shanahan will more than likely utilize Aiyuk much as he used Samuel in last year’s contest against Seattle when Samuel had 102 yards receiving and rushed twice for 33 yards and a  touchdown.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll apparently has known of Aiyuk for a while, and admitted that the Seahawks coveted him during the draft process, telling reporters via conference call:

"He’s a really good player. We held him in high regard on our end too. We loved the guy coming out. Brandon hasn’t had any trouble making the transition from ASU, he’s done a great job. Everybody is battling being banged up, he’s really stepped up and he’s a real key factor for them."

With a healthy tight end George Kittle to deal with, Aiyuk could be a key factor in how well the SF 49ers offense operates this Sunday. It will also be a good litmus test for where he stands halfway through his rookie season, especially when opposing defenses will be keying in on him in Samuel’s absence.

But with that said, unless Seattle somehow tightens up its tattered secondary or the defensive front is able to create pressure on Jimmy Garoppolo, Aiyuk could make it a long day for Carroll’s defense.