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 4:
Stefon Diggs (WR - Buffalo Bills)
Diggs continues to do his thing in Buffalo and is tied for the league lead with 403 receiving yards after Week 4. In the Bills’ 30-23 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Diggs caught six of his seven targets for 115 yards. He has amassed 100 yards receiving twice already this season and has two touchdowns so far. He’s proving to be worth every penny to Buffalo and budding young quarterback Josh Allen.
Quinton Jefferson (DT - Buffalo Bills)
Diggs isn’t the only former Terp that has helped Buffalo get off to a 4-0 start. Jefferson has been a key cog on the Bills’ defensive line and he came up with a big play in Week 4. With the Raiders trying to make their final attempt at a comeback in the fourth quarter, Jefferson got the trifecta — a strip, sack, and fumble recovery — to seal the game for his team. The sack was Jefferson’s first of the season.
DJ Moore (WR - Carolina Panthers)
As Carolina’s offense goes through some drastic changes this season (i.e. new head coach, new quarterback, injured Christian McCaffery, no Greg Olsen, and the addition of a Robby Anderson), it has seemingly had a negative effect on Moore’s trajectory as one of the rising young wideouts in the game. The third-year wide receiver was held to just four receptions for 49 yards in Week 4 against the Arizona Cardinals — albeit he did see a lot of Patrick Peterson in coverage. Still, it’s a bit concerning to see Moore with just one game so far this season where he surpassed 100 receiving yards. He has also yet to find the end zone this year.
Jermaine Carter (LB - Carolina Panthers)
Carter played six (11%) defensive snaps and 18 (72%) special teams snaps in Carolina’s 31-21 Week 4 win over the Arizona Cardinals and entered the box score for the first time this season. He finished the game with two tackles and a tackle for loss.
Yannick Ngakoue (DE - Minnesota Vikings)
Like Diggs in Buffalo, Ngakoue is enjoying great success with a new team this season. And while Ngakoue’s team isn’t undefeated like Buffalo, his play in Week 4 drastically helped the Vikings get their first win. Ngakoue finished with five tackles, a sack, and a quarterback hit in Minnesota’s 31-23 Week 4 victory over the Houston Texans. Ngakoue now has three sacks this season.
Josh Woods (LB - Chicago Bears)
Woods made his mark on special teams on Sunday, recording a season-high three solo tackles in Chicago’s 19-11 Week 4 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Darnell Savage (S - Green Bay Packers)
Savage was all over the field in Green Bay’s 30-16 Week 4 Monday Night Football win over the Atlanta Falcons. The second-year safety finished with six tackles, one tackle for loss, and a defended pass. Like Diggs, Savage’s team is off to a 4-0 start this year.
JC Jackson (CB - New England Patriots)
It’s tough to grade Jackson’s performance — or any defensive back’s performance for that matter — against the reigning Super Bowl MVP and best quarterback on the planet, Patrick Mahomes. But in a game that was pretty close until the fourth quarter, Jackson and his New England secondary did a relatively decent job against Kansas City’s aerial attack compared to most teams. Despite a 26-10 loss to the Chiefs, Jackson continued to show his value on the Patriots’ defense. He finished the game with two tackles, a defended pass, and a fumble recovery.
Byron Cowart (DT - New England Patriots)
Cowart had two tackles in New England’s 16-point Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ty Johnson (RB - New York Jets)
Johnson was waived by the Detroit Lions on Oct. 1 and signed a day later by the New York Jets.
**Due to positive COVID-19 tests, the Week 4 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans was moved to later in the season and both teams took their bye week in Week 4, giving former Terps Anthony McFarland and Sean Davis some rest.
