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Maryland in the NFL: Stefon Diggs is the truth, Nolan Carroll continues to show out

Catch up with the former Terps who are playing on Sundays.

By Carson Kenney
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

What a weekend it was! Maryland didn't lose and there were plenty of former College Park players that had great games in the NFL on Sunday (and Monday). Check out who played well and who is on the verge of breaking out as we catch up on Week 6 action.

Nolan Carroll, CB, Philadelphia Eagles

Last week's stats: Seven tackles (six solo), two passes defensed, one interception, one touchdown

Carroll had an excellent game on Monday night against the Giants, helping the Eagles win easily, 27-7. Philly is 3-3 which is underachieving if you base that record off of their pre-season expectations, however, they have been playing much better football than they were in the first couple weeks. Carroll has turned into one of the leaders of not only the secondary, but the entire defense, a defense that will need to continue to put up performances like this if the Eagles want to be viewed as a legit playoff threat.

Jon Condo, LS, Oakland Raiders

Last week's stats: Bye week

Vernon Davis, TE, San Francisco 49ers

Last week's stats: None

Oh hey, look. The 49ers won a football game. Oh hey, look. Vernon Davis did not record a single catch. The former Maryland star was active for the first time in two weeks after dinging up his knee but was on the sideline for the majority of the game, allowing FB/TE Bruce Miller to see snaps. CBS Sports has mentioned that Davis very likely will be leaving San Francisco before the trade deadline as other teams have made exploratory calls about him. But so far, this is not the season Davis probably envisioned after a poor season last year.

Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Last week's stats: Seven catches, 129 yards (31 yard long), nine targets

Psst. Hey, guys. It's happening. Stefon Diggs in just his second game of his NFL career is opening the eyes of everyone around the league. Of course being Maryland fans, we all know what this kids ceiling is but that does not mean it isn't any less exciting to see him go off like this. Diggs has put up 216 receiving yards in two games and it is looking good or him to start next weekend in the slot for the Vikings. He also made me look like a genius for using a draft pick on him in my fantasy league (Mather Mac and Cheese) but that's neither here nor there. For those of you keeping track at home, can you name the former Vikings receiver who Diggs has already passed in terms of total receiving yards in his first two career games? I'll give you a hint. His name rhymes with "Shmandy Shmoss."

AJ Francis, DT, Miami Dolphins

Last week's stats: DNP (Inactive)

The Dolphins looked like a real football team on Sunday in their interim head coach's first game at the helm. They knocked around the Titans to the tune of 38-10, however Francis was inactive. Unfortunately Francis has not played as much this year as some may have envisioned based on his pre-season performances where he was lining up with the first team defensive line.

Erin Henderson, LB, New York Jets

Last week's stats: One tackle

Henderson only managed one tackle against Washington's football team on Sunday as the Jets won 34-20. Henderson is still trying to turn his career around and has played sparingly so far this year in New York. The Jets as a team have played solid football to this point in the season and have set themselves up nicely, sitting at 4-1, to contend for a post-season berth down the stretch.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Last week's stats: None

Well, my friends, the fun is over. With the Steelers receiving core back at full strength after getting back Martavis Bryant, DHB was no where to be found on the stat sheet in the Steelers 25-13 win over the then undefeated Arizona Cardinals. Heyward-Bey was having a great season to date for the Steelers, filling in admirably for the depleted receiving core, however with Bryant, Brown and Wheaton healthy, the former Terp will be relegated to 4th string. But as I said last week, Twitter was loving his performance so I included one more gem for your viewing pleasure.

D'Qwell Jackson, LB, Indianapolis Colts

Last week's stats: 13 tackles (four solo)

The Colts lost to the Patriots by seven on Sunday night, even though Indy's last touchdown came in garbage time at the end of the game. Jackson has been one of the best linebackers in the league this season despite what Indy's record may suggest about its defense. He is currently leading the entire league in total tackles. D'Qwell also has recently mentioned that he wants the ball that he intercepted that started DeflateGate back.

Darius Kilgo, DT, Denver Broncos

Last week's stats: DNP (Inactive)

This was a bit of a surprise to folks since Kilgo is healthy and has been on the field a lot this season for Denver, however thinking about it, it makes sense as Denver was focused more on the pass rush against Cleveland than stopping the run. So in that sense, not much should be read into it. Denver beat Cleveland by three, 26-23, and as I said last week, the Broncos are the best, worst team in the NFL. Peyton Manning is one of the greatest QB's to ever play but he had three picks on Sunday against a sub-par Browns Defense. His arm should be eaten with a nice red sauce and garlic bread, not throwing passes in 2015.

Dexter McDougle, CB, New York Jets

Last week's stats: Three tackles (two solo), one pass defensed

McDougle came up HUGE on a 4th and goal pass at the goal line from Kirk Cousins, as illustrated by the image above. McDougle came in for an injured Buster Skrine and showed fans just how deep of a secondary the Jets really have. The former Maryland DB has proven to be a valuable asset for the green and white New York team both defensively and on special teams. After missing all of his rookie season last year, he is putting together a very respectable first active year in the league.

Nick Novak, K, Houston Texans

Last week's stats: 1/1 FG's (41 yard long), 4/4 XP's

Novak was perfect on Sunday as Houston beat the Jag-Wagon, 31-20, to improve to 2-4 on the year. Novak has proven to be a worthwhile pick up for the Texans and should get plenty of more opportunities this year to put points up on the board.

Torrey Smith, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Last week's stats: Three catches, 96 yards (76 yard long), one touchdown

Well if your a Ravens fan, this must be awkward. Torrey Smith catching 76 yard bombs for touchdowns but not in Baltimore. This is why San Francisco threw him all that money in the off-season, because of his big-play, homerun potential. If only the 49ers could play like that every week, they would be a fun team to watch.

Randy Starks, DL, Cleveland Browns

Last week's stats: Four tackles (two solo), one for a loss

Cleveland lost to Denver and Starks contributed four tackles, including one for a loss to the cause. Starks performances have not been what fans thought they would be after Cleveland signed the free agent during the offseason, but Cleveland's defense as a unit has been lacking all year as well.

Josh Wilson, CB, Detroit Lions

Last week's stats: Four tackles (three solo), half a sack, one pass defensed

The Lions beat the Bears, 37-34, in a shootout on Sunday. Wilson got in on the action with four tackles and got to Cutler once to tally a half of a sack. Wilson is playing generally well for the Lions, even though the Lions have been playing generally poor all year long. The victory on Sunday was their first of the season but I wouldn't bank on them winning too many more.

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