Maryland is sporting a strong contingency in the NFL these days with around a dozen players on active rosters. TSR will be tracking the success of Terps in the pros this fall.
Here’s a look at their performances in Week 16:
Stefon Diggs (WR - Buffalo Bills)
In case you haven’t been paying attention, Diggs isn’t messing around this season. He now leads all NFL wide receivers in receptions (120) and yards (1,459) this season after a Week 16 Monday Night Football performance for the ages. Diggs found the end zone three times in a 38-9 drubbing of the New England Patriots on Monday Night. He now has eight receiving touchdowns this season. Even better for Diggs, he did most of his damage on Monday night being covered by fellow Terps football alum JC Jackson — stamping his claim as the top Terp in the NFL despite Jackson’s breakout season.
Quinton Jefferson (DT - Buffalo Bills)
Jefferson wasn’t about to let Jackson have all of the fun on Monday night. Jefferson finished the game with two tackles and a sack on New England’s Cam Newton. The sack came on a crucial third down and forced the Patriots to punt the ball. Heading into the final week of the regular season, Jefferson has three sacks. He needs just one more for a new career high.
J.C. Jackson (CB - New England Patriots)
Jackson started off strong covering Diggs on Monday night, but the Pro Bowl wide receiver proved to be too much for the budding defensive back at the end of the day. Jackson finished the game with five tackles but would certainly like to have some plays against Diggs such as the 50-yard touchdown right before halftime back.
Byron Cowart (DT - New England Patriots)
Despite being questionable throughout the week with an injury, Cowart played 48% of the defensive snaps for New England on Monday night. He was able to convert that playing time into one tackle.
Darnell Savage (S - Green Bay Packers)
Savage is having one of the strongest second halves of the season of any defensive back in the NFL. The second-year safety picked off his fourth pass of the season in Green Bay’s 40-14 shellacking of the Tennessee Titans on Sunday Night Football. The interception was Savage’s fourth in the last five weeks. Savage was flying all over the field Sunday night, also adding five tackles and three passes defended to his totals.
D.J. Moore (WR - Carolina Panthers)
Despite being targeted a team-high 10 times on Sunday, Moore was only able to haul in five receptions for 37 yards against the Washington Football Team. However, the rest of Moore’s team took care of business as Carolina handed Washington a 20-13 loss in Week 16.
Jermain Carter Jr. (LB - Carolina Panthers)
Carter recorded two tackles in Sunday’s seven-point win over Washington. Both were solo tackles and he is now up to a career-high 38 total tackles this season
Yannick Ngakoue (DE - Baltimore Ravens)
Ngakoue had a quiet day in Week 16, but the Ravens didn’t need him to do much to beat the New York Giants 27-13. Ngakoue had just one tackle in Baltimore’s 14-point victory.
Ty Johnson (RB - New York Jets)
Playing 26% of the Jets’ snaps in Week 16, Johnson logged 13 yards on two carries in New York’s 23-16 win over the Cleveland Browns. He’s currently third in the pecking order of New York’s backfield behind future Hall of Famer Frank Gore and rookie La’Mical Perine.
Josh Woods (LB - Chicago Bears)
Woods picked up two tackles while playing 18% of the snaps in Chicago’s 41-17 blowout victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16. Woods is up to 10 tackles so far this season.
Keandre Jones (LB - Cincinnati Bengals)
Making his first career NFL appearance after being called up from Cincinnati's practice squad over the weekend, Jones also picked up the first tackle of his career as his Bengals defeated the Houston Texans 37-31 for their second consecutive win.
Anthony McFarland (RB - Pittsburgh Steelers)
McFarland was inactive for Pittsburgh’s 28-24 Week 16 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Sean Davis (S - Pittsburgh Steelers)
Davis was active but did not see the field in Pittsburgh’s Week 16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
**Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Derwin Gray was signed off of Pittsburgh’s practice squad by the Jacksonville Jaguars this week