Terps in the NFL: J.C. Jackson sets a Patriots franchise record

Former Terrapins cornerback J.C. Jackson caught an interception for the New England Patriots for the fifth straight game on Sunday night.

After stealing a pass from Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson late in the second quarter, Jackson set a new Patriots franchise record. His five consecutive games with a pick is the most in franchise history and he is the first NFL player to reach this feat since 2014.

Jackson and his teammates celebrated his sixth interception of the season, which remains the NFL lead.

The third-year cornerback now has a new career-high in interceptions with six, breaking his record of five from 2019. With one pass defection against the Ravens, Jackson also now has a new career-high in pass breakups with 11 this season, breaking his record of 10 from 2019.

Jackson didn’t record a tackle in Sunday’s game because he played outstanding coverage on Baltimore’s receivers, allowing no receptions in the entire first half when targeted.

The former Terp now has a two interception lead for the league’s best mark, with Miami’s Xavien Howard and Washington’s Kendall Fuller both in second with four each.

New England defeated Baltimore 23-17 and improved to 4-5 on the season. Jackson and the Patriots will travel to Houston to face the Texans next week.

Other Performers

• Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs continues to be the best receiver in the NFL. Diggs caught 10 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown that gave the Bills the lead with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter. He still leads the entire league in receptions, targets and receiving yards with 73 catches, 102 targets and 906 receiving yards. Diggs and the Bills suffered a heartbreaking loss to Arizona on a last second hail mary throw that DeAndre Hopkins caught over four defenders. Diggs’ clutch diving catch in the end zone put the Bills in a prime position to win the game, but a miracle touchdown turned the tide. Buffalo fell to 7-3 on the season, but remains in first place in the AFC East and is currently the three-seed in the AFC.

• Carolina Panthers wide receiver DJ Moore continues to have the best season of his career. The third-year man recorded four catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. He took a screen pass all the way to the end zone, showing off his speed as he blew past the Buccaneers defense. His 96 yards in this contest were the second most he has had in a game in 2020. Moore now has four touchdowns this season, which tied his career high of four from 2019. He is averaging 18.3 yards per reception this season, which is the most he’s averaged in his career. Moore is currently ninth in the NFL in receiving yards with 736 on the season. The Panthers fell to 3-7 with their loss to Tampa Bay, but Moore continues to be among the league’s best at his position.

• Green Bay Packers safety Darnell Savage played one of his best games of the season on Sunday. The second-year man recorded five combined tackles, four solo tackles and two pass deflections. He was phenomenal in terms of pass defense against Jacksonville. His two pass deflections were the most of any defender for the Packers in this game. Savage now has four total pass deflections this season, which is one shy of his career high that he reached as a rookie in 2019. The Packers survived against the Jaguars, winning 24-20, improving to 7-2 atop the entire NFC.
• Baltimore Ravens defensive end Yannick Ngakoue had two tackles in Sunday’s game against New England, including one quarterback hit on former NFL MVP Cam Newton. Ngakoue did not record a stat last week in his first start for the Ravens, but picked things back up in Week 10. Baltimore fell to 6-3 after its loss to the Patriots, tied with the Browns for second in the AFC North behind Pittsburgh.
• New England Patriots defensive lineman Byron Cowart picked up two tackles on Sunday Night Football. Cowart continues to be a mainstay on defense for the Patriots, as several players opted-out before the season. After only playing five games as a rookie last season, Cowart has now played in eight of his team’s nine games in 2020 and he’s recorded a tackle in every game that he has played in.
• Pittsburgh Steelers rookie safety Antoine Brooks Jr. made his NFL debut Sunday against the Bengals. The sixth-round pick recorded two total tackles, the first of his career. Brooks found some time on the field for one of the league’s best defenses. Pittsburgh improved to 9-0, as it remains the only undefeated team in the league.
• Steelers safety Sean Davis also recorded two total tackles against the Bengals, both of which were solo tackles. Davis has primarily made his mark on special teams for Pittsburgh this season, but he contributed defensively on Sunday recording his first two tackles of the 2020 season.
• For the second straight week, linebacker Jermaine Carter picked up four combined tackles, two of them solo, against Tampa Bay. The third-year man continues to make his mark on special teams, but has come out of his shell the last two weeks on defense for Carolina.
• Bills defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson failed to record a stat against Arizona on Sunday. Jefferson recorded a tackle in every game this season, up until last week against Seattle, his former team. He has now gone back-to-back games without a registering a defensive stat.
• Chicago Bears linebacker Josh Woods did not record a stat against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. Woods continues to be a special teams player for the Bears this season. Chicago fell to 5-5 with a loss as it heads into its bye week next week.
• Steelers rookie running back Anthony McFarland Jr. was out with an illness on Sunday. McFarland looks to return to the undefeated Steelers, as they take on Jacksonville next week.
• Running back Ty Johnson and the New York Jets had a bye in Week 10. The Jets will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers next week.