Maryland in the NFL: Vernon Davis, Stefon Diggs stand out in an otherwise quiet week

Until about 11 p.m. Monday night, it looked like it would be a relatively quiet week for former Maryland players now in the NFL. That changed when Stefon Diggs caught a 25-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Bears, as he joined Vernon Davis as one of two former Terps to have a standout games this weekend.

Vernon Davis, TE, Washington Redskins

Even with starter Jordan Reed back, Davis still had five catches for 93 yards, the most receiving yards he’s had in three years. He has 15 catches for 222 yards and a touchdown in the past three weeks, which is the most productive he’s been since his peak in San Francisco.

But don’t expect his renaissance to continue. Kirk Cousins won’t throw for 458 yards every week, and Davis might see fewer snaps now that Reed is healthy.

Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Diggs had strong primetime performance, catching eight balls for 76 yards and a touchdown in a 20-10 loss to the Bears. His touchdown came with 5:41 left in the fourth quarter, as Bradford made a nice throw on a fourth-and-six to keep the Vikings in the game. For some reason the Vikings decided not to go for the onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, and the Bears ran more than 5:30 off the clock to put the game away.

D’Qwell Jackson, LB, Indianapolis Colts

Jackson had six tackles, including one for a loss, in the Colts’ 30-14 loss to the Chiefs. Jackson was part of a defense that somehow gave up 334 pass yards to the Chiefs, who were without starter Alex Smith for most of the game.

While Smith averaged just 6.6 yards per attempt, backup Nick Foles averaged more than 10. Although the Colts are off to a disappointing 3-5 start, the veteran said it could be worse, telling the Indianapolis Star “we could be 0-8.”

Nolan Carroll, CB, Philadelphia Eagles

Carroll made two tackles and deflected one pass in the Eagles’ 29-23 overtime loss to the Cowboys. He helped limit Dez Bryant to just four catches on 14 targets, but Bryant got the better of Carroll in the first quarter when he beat the former Terp for a 53-yard touchdown.

Nick Novak, K, Houston Texans

Novak had another solid day Sunday, converting two extra points and two field goals in a 20-13 win over the Lions. The field goals were chip shots of 34 and 36 yards, but as we’ve seen the past few weeks, making those kicks isn’t as easy as it seems.

Yannick Ngakoue, DE, Jacksonville Jaguars

The rookie failed to record a tackle for the first time in his career, recording just one quarterback hit in a 36-22 loss to the Titans. He was ineffective like most of the Jaguars defense, which allowed 494 yards and didn’t sack Marcus Mariota once in the loss.

Jon Condo, LS, Oakland Raiders

After having a bad snap that forced punter Marquette King to scramble, Condo had an error-free Sunday. He was on the field for six punts, three extra points and three field goal attempts in the Raiders 30-24 win over the Buccaneers.

While Condo had a good day, fellow specialist Sebastian Janikowski did not. He missed two field goals in a game for the first time this season. Despite the errors, the Raiders improved to 6-2 and this is easily the best Raiders team Condo has played on since arriving in Oakland in 2006.

Darius Kilgo, DT, Denver Broncos

Kilgo was active Sunday, but didn’t record a tackle in the Broncos’ 27-19 win over the Chargers. He has struggled for playing time all season on a crowded defensive line.

Quinton Jefferson, DT, Seattle Seahawks

Jefferson returned to practice after missing a few weeks following surgery to repair a broken bone in his hand, but suffered a knee injury in practice and had to have another surgery. The Seahawks put the rookie on injured reserve, ending his season after making just one tackle in three games.

According to the Seattle Times,, the team hasn’t made it clear how severe the injury is, so Jefferson could be a candidate to return later this season.