Maryland’s contingency in the NFL seems to be growing by the year. TSR will be tracking the success of Terps in the pros this fall.
Here’s a look at their performances in Week 2:
Stefon Diggs (WR - Minnesota Vikings)
Diggs played ineffectively through a hamstring injury in Week 1, and if it wasn’t for his lone reception against divisional rival Green Bay Packers, his number would have been even worse in Week 2. Diggs was targeted by Kirk Cousins seven times, but he only hauled in one pass; however, that catch was a 49-yarder that he took to the house for a touchdown. Diggs also lost a fumble in this game, which helped lead to Minnesota’s 21-16 loss in Lambeau. Diggs saw his snap count increase from 60 percent to 89 percent between Week 1 and Week 2, but he was still outperformed on Sunday by Vikings wideouts Adam Thielen and Chad Beebe.
Sean Davis (S - Pittsburgh Steelers)
Davis missed Week 1 with an ankle injury but returned to action in Week 2 as the Steelers hosted the Seattle Seahawks. It was a must-win game of sorts for Pittsburgh, which got embarrassed by the Patriots in its season-opener, but the misfortune stuck with the Steelers as they lost their home-opener and their quarterback for the year. In the 28-26 loss, Davis registered five tackles, however, he was also the culprit of a couple of busted coverages that led to big plays in the passing game and several scores for Seattle.
Darnell Savage (S - Green Bay Packers)
Coming off of a strong NFL debut in the league’s opening game of the season, Savage followed up his performance with another solid outing in Week 2. The rookie safety finished second on Green Bay with six tackles while also recording a defended pass. He has been quick to show off his ball-hawking skills that he displayed for years at Maryland, and Green Bay’s defense has been much improved since his arrival — plus the addition of some big-time defensive free agents.
DJ Moore (WR - Carolina Panthers)
Playing on Thursday night against division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Moore put up impressive numbers despite his team’s lackluster offense in the game. Moore caught nine of his 14 targets for 89 yards. He was targeted by Cam Newton more than any other Carolina wide receiver. Through the first two weeks of the year, Moore is off to a strong sophomore campaign, tallying 16 receptions for 165 yards so far.
Jermaine Carter (LB - Carolina Panthers)
Carter played 40 percent of Carolina’s defensive snaps Thursday night against Tampa Bay, and that’s all he needed to record two tackles, 0.5 sacks, 0.5 tackles for loss, and one quarterback hit. He’s getting more involved in his second year in the league while learning from one of the best — Luke Kuechly.
JC Jackson (CB - New England Patriots)
Rotating in and out of the Patriots’ secondary, Jackson played 55 percent of New England’s defensive snaps and registered two tackles and a defended pass. He won a Super Bowl with New England last year, and it looks like he could possibly find himself in that position again with the way the Patriots have started their season.
Byron Cowart (DT - New England Patriots)
After being inactive in Week 1, Cowart saw his first regular-season NFL action on Sunday, as the Patriots dismantled the hapless Miami Dolphins, 43-0. Cowart not only played 26 percent of New England’s defensive snaps, he also recorded the first tackle of his NFL career.
Vernon Davis (TE - Washington Redskins)
Davis continues to fill in for the injured Jordan Reed as Washington’s starting tight end, and his veteran presence is bringing at least some semblance of stability to the Redskins’ extremely young offense. In a tough matchup with Dallas’ athletic linebackers and safeties, Davis caught three of his four targets for 29 yards in a 31-21 defeat on Sunday.
Ty Johnson (RB - Detroit Lions)
Building off of his one carry for 6 yards in Week 1, Johnson saw an expanded role for Detroit in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers. The former Terps tailback carried the ball five times against the Chargers for 30 yards, maintaining his 6-yard per carry average. Johnson seems to be ripping off big chunks of yards every time he’s given a chance to touch the ball, something he did quite often in College Park.
Quinton Jefferson (DT - Seattle Seahawks)
After having a career game in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Jefferson came back down to Earth in Week 2 against the Steelers. The former Terps defensive tackle finished with just one tackle while playing 79 percent of Seattle’s defensive snaps. He continues to see regular playing time, so there should be some stronger games from Jefferson throughout the season.
Yannick Ngakoue (DE - Jacksonville Jaguars)
Ngakoue was inactive for Jacksonville’s Week 2 game against the Houston Texans due to a hamstring injury.
Josh Woods (LB - Chicago Bears)
Woods was inactive for Chicago’s Week 2 game against the Denver Broncos.