Terps in the NFL: Diggs and Cross show out for their respective teams

Here’s how former Maryland football players performed in the NFL this past week.

To highlight Week 3 of NFL Action, one of Maryland football’s most notable alumni set a new season-high in catches, while also completing his first career pass.

Although the Houston Texans fell to the Minnesota Vikings 34-7, Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs played well against his former team and enjoyed his best game of the season thus far.

Diggs finished the game with a game-high 10 catches on 12 targets, leading Houston with 94 receiving yards. But after catching a second-quarter screen pass from quarterback C.J. Stroud, it was Diggs’ throwing ability that impressed NFL fans.

On third-and-12, Diggs caught a left-side screen pass before throwing it cross-field to running back Dare Ogunbowale for a 13-yard gain. The first-down throw was Diggs’ first completed pass of his 10-year career; his only other career attempt, with the Vikings in 2019, went incomplete.

Indianapolis Colts safety Nick Cross paced the Colts’ defense in the team’s 21-16 win over the Chicago Bears. Cross made 10 tackles (six solo) and deflected one pass. Cross, the NFL’s current tackles leader with 39, is one of only four players this season to have double-digit tackles in each of his team’s first three games. The exclusive list includes Cross’ teammate, E.J. Speed, as the Colts have three of the NFL’s four total tackle leaders on their roster.

Even in their first win of the season, the Colts and Cross had trouble stopping Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore. The Maryland alum set new season-highs with eight catches for 78 receiving yards in the losing effort.

Other players

• Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson hauled in a 16-yard receiving touchdown in the Bills’ 47-10 trouncing of the Jacksonville Jaguars, finishing with three carries for 18 yards and three receptions for 28 yards. The score was Johnson’s fifth through the air of his career and first since Week 12 of last season.

• New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks made a season-high five tackles and deflected a pass.
• Tennessee Titans tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo caught both of his targets for 15 yards.
• Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jakorian Bennett assisted on two tackles.
• Las Vegas Raiders offensive tackle DJ Glaze appeared off the bench at right tackle.
• Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson assisted on one tackle.
• Jacksonville Jaguars safety Darnell Savage Jr. was inactive for Jacksonville’s game against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.
• Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Michael Dunn remained on the reserve/non-football illness list.
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Rakim Jarrett remained on injury reserve.
• Baltimore Ravens safety Beau Brade and Los Angeles Chargers safety Tarheeb Still were both inactive for the third-consecutive week.