Terps in the NFL: JC Jackson leads Patriots to 4-0 start

The Patriots moved to 4-0 after a 16-10 win against the Bills, but it’s hard to argue the win would have been possible if not for cornerback JC Jackson’s strong performance that included a blocked punt and two interceptions.

The Patriots struggled mightily on offense against the stout Bills defense, but New England’s defense and special teams was enough to give them the win. Jackson’s punt block led to a Matthew Slater recovery and score that would be the team’s final touchdown of the day before adding another field goal later in the game.

After the crucial punt block, Jackson continued to make his presence felt by picking off two deep balls from Josh Allen that if completed could have led to Bills touchdowns. Jackson’s final stat line also included two tackles to go along with his two interceptions and blocked punt.

The second year cornerback has been solid through the first few weeks of the season, but has played a bit of a lesser role so far compared to last year. Today’s sensational performance should reaffirm to head coach Bill Belichick how much of a difference maker Jackson can be.

Jackson’s teammate Devin McCourty had high praise for the up and coming star.

Other Stand Out Performers

Week four was tough for the Vikings, losing to the Bears 16-6, but Stefon Diggs easily had his best game of the season hauling in seven catches for 108 yards. Diggs has struggled to start the 2019 season, but with seven catches on 10 targets, this game could prove to be a turning point for the star receiver.

Diggs has struggled to adapt to the Vikings new run dominant offense, but he was able to turn in a great performance against one of the toughest defenses in the league. Hopefully for Diggs’ sake, the targets will continue as the season goes on and the lack of production from the first three weeks will prove to be just a fluke.

Jermaine Carter also had a strong day for the Panthers in their 16-10 win over the Texans. He had six tackles, one of which was for a loss.

Other Terps In Action

• Yannick Ngakoue had a tough game in his team’s 26-24 win over the Broncos. He only recorded two total tackles.
• DJ Moore also had his first tough game of the season, only catching three passes for 44 yards in the Panthers win over the Texans. Moore’s lack of targets compared to other Carolina receivers in the two games following Cam Newton’s injury is certainly something to keep an eye on.
• Darnell Savage came back to earth just a bit during the Packers Thursday night loss to the Eagles 34-27. The Rookie of the Year candidate only recorded three tackles during the game.
• Vernon Davis was virtually nonexistent, much like the rest of the Redskins offense in their 24-3 loss to the Giants. The “ageless wonder” only had one catch for five yards on four targets.
• Ty Johnson still struggled to find playing time in the Lions’ heartbreaking 34-30 loss to the Chiefs. Johnson only carried the ball three times for 13 yards and seems to have taken a slight back seat to fellow backup running back J.D. McKissic, for now, in the battle for who gets the most touches behind bell-cow Kerryon Johnson.
• Quinton Jefferson recorded two total tackles in the Seahawks 27-10 win over the Cardinals.
• Josh Woods finally made his NFL debut and was active for the first time in his career as the Bears defeated the Vikings 16-6. Unfortunately for Woods, he didn’t see the field and didn’t record any stats during his debut on the active roster.
• Byron Cowart was a healthy scratch for the Patriots.

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