Maryland in the NFL Week 17: Yannick Ngakoue, Nick Novak set team records

Another NFL season has come and gone, which means some former Terps have a few months to rest and recover while others will keep playing for a shot at the Lombardi Trophy. Here’s a recap of how they did this week, along with some end-of-year stats. For those who followed along all season, thanks for reading.

Yannick Ngakoue, DE, Jacksonville Jaguars

With his take-down of Andrew Luck midway through the second quarter, Ngakoue broke the Jaguars rookie sack record, which was previously set by Tony Brackens in 1996. He finished the season with 22 tackles and eight sacks, which is an impressive start to his career.

Nick Novak, K, Houston Texans

Novak hit one of his two field goal attempts and both extra points in a 24-17 loss to the Titans. His miss on from 45 yards out in the second quarter snapped a streak of 16 made field goals, but he recovered and hit a 26-yard attempt in the third quarter.

This year he set a career high with 35 field goals, which is a Texans record and second most in the NFL this year behind Justin Tucker. Novak is also heading to the playoffs for the second time, as the Texans will take on the Raiders next Saturday.

Sean Davis, S; Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Davis recorded nine tackles and a sack in the Steelers’ 27-24 win over the Browns. He finishes the year with 70 tackles after switching from cornerback to safety in the middle of the season, and was voted Steelers rookie of the year by the local chapter of the Professional Football Writers of America.

Heyward-Bey made an impact on offense for the first time in nearly a month, catching a 46-yard pass with 6:54 left in the fourth quarter that put the Steelers in the red zone, allowing them to score a touchdown three plays later. He also made a huge play in the third quarter, stripping Bobby Calhoun just before the goal line after a Landry Jones interception, preventing the Browns from taking a 21-7 lead.

Heyward-Bey had an odd season. He had just seven touches in 10 games, but averaged nearly 25 yards and scored three touchdowns. You can see both of them in action on Sunday when the Steelers take on the Miami Dolphins.

Vernon Davis, TE, Washington Redskins

Davis had two catches for 49 yards in the Redskins’ season-ending 19-10 loss to the Giants. Despite the disappointing end to the season, the tight end says this year was “amazing.” Davis had his best season since 2013, catching 44 passes in 583 yards and two touchdowns while filling in for the oft-injured Jordan Reed.

Nolan Carroll, CB, Philadelphia Eagles

Carroll finished tied for second on the Eagles with four tackles in their 27-13 win over the Cowboys, but was flagged for pass interference and beat for a touchdown in the second quarter. He finished 2016 with 55 tackles, which is two less than he had in 11 games last season, but tied a career high with 11 passes broken up.

He enters this offseason as a free agent, and said his agent was in contract talks with the Eagles before an up-and-down game on Sunday.

Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Diggs was inactive for the final game of the season. After being on pace for 1,000 yards for much of the season, he finished with 903 yards due to lackluster production and injuries during the final weeks. The second-year wideout struggled with injuries in his time at Maryland, and this trend has continued so far at the next level.

Jon Condo, LS, Oakland Raiders

Condo was on the field eight times Sunday, all punts, in the Raiders’ 24-6 loss to the Broncos. The loss dropped the Raiders to the 5-seed in the AFC playoffs, and instead of getting a first-round bye they will have to go to Houston next Saturday.