Pair of Maryland Terrapins Highlight NFL Divisional Round Weekend
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As if last week's Wild Card weekend wasn't nerve-racking enough for NFL fans, the Divisional Round was flat out ridiculous.
The Denver Broncos denied Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills the opportunity for the championship with a walk-off field goal in overtime, as did the Los Angeles Rams against the Chicago Bears, the New England Patriots defeated the Houston Texans in a turnover-filled contest at a snowy Gillette Stadium, and the Seattle Seahawks hosted a 60-minute manhandling of the San Francisco 49ers.
And in the chaos of the weekend, two former Maryland Terrapin wide receivers played crucial roles in their teams' matchups, with one moving one step closer to Lombardi Trophy glory, and another one unfortunately tasting the agony of defeat.
In the cold and rainy tundra that was Foxborough, Massachusetts, Stefon Diggs and the New England Patriots won a 28-16 matchup with the Houston Texans that saw both quarterbacks struggle heavily with turnovers.
Houston quarterback CJ Stroud threw four interceptions in the first half alone and completed 20 of 47 attempted passes, with his one touchdown pass going to wide receiver Christian Kirk early in the second quarter.
Aside from the two field goals later in the third quarter by kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn, that's really where the offense sputtered out for DeMeco Ryans and the Texans.
As for New England quarterback and NFL MVP candidate Drake Maye, he threw three touchdowns, but couldn't seem to hold onto the ball with his four fumbles, losing two of them.
Thankfully, Maye had his trusty veteran in Diggs on the outside and made good use of the former Terrapin, accounting for four catches for 40 yards and one of the touchdowns, which saw the former Texan not only catch the ball in a tight window, but endure a massive hit in the end zone and somehow still hold onto the pigskin.
Here is a look at the catch, which put New England up by two scores in the latter stages of the first half:
Drake Maye let it rip to Stefon Diggs for another six!
— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2026
HOUvsNE on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/iid97fd1m8
A little under 1,000 miles from the Pats' home turf, DJ Moore and the Chicago Bears had quite a battle on their hands in equally treacherous weather conditions with the other NFL MVP candidate, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The Rams struck first with a Kyren Williams rushing score midway through the first quarter, but the Bears were able to respond soundly with Bears quarterback Caleb Williams finding Moore in the back of the end zone on 4th and goal to put Chicago on the board.
Caleb to DJ on 4th and Goal!
— NFL (@NFL) January 19, 2026
LARvsCHI on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/aM77X2g1iy
Despite throwing three interceptions, Williams would find tight end Cole Kmet in the end zone on a miraculous fourth down pass that was basically the Chicago equivalent of the "Hail Mary" pass, tying the game and sending it to overtime, but on their first possession, a pass intended for Moore by Williams was picked off by Rams safety Kam Curl.
One 42-yard Harrison Mevis field goal later, and the best season by the Bears in nearly a decade was over just like that.
Diggs and the Patriots will travel to the Mile High City to face the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Sunday afternoon, their first since Tom Brady's departure after the 2019 season, while Moore and the Bears regroup for the 2026 season.
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Aaron Raley is a writer covering Maryland On SI. Born and raised in Northeast Texas, Aaron earned a degree from Texas A&M University in journalism, with minors in history and sports management. Aaron’s writing abilities are driven by his love and passion for various sports, both at the collegiate and professional levels, as well as his experience in playing sports, especially baseball and football.
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