Maryland Native Stefon Diggs Poses Huge Challenge for Ravens Secondary
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs has deep Maryland roots.
He grew up in Gaithersburg, Md., attended Good Counsel high school and then shined at the University of Maryland.
So, it only made sense that he was linked to the Ravens and he visited the Under Armour Performance Center prior to the 2015 NFL Draft.
Instead, Diggs fell all the way to Minnesota in the fifth round (146th overall). He had a tumultuous stint with the Vikings and was traded to the Bills in March for multiple 2020 draft picks, including a first-round selection that was used to select LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Diggs quickly adapted to life in Buffalo and had the most productive season of his career. Diggs led the NFL and set single-season franchise records for both receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535). He also had eight touchdown catches.
The Ravens will face a tough challenge containing Diggs when the teams meet in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs on Saturday.
“Boy, he’s done great. I remember him well because he was here," Harbaugh said about Diggs pre-draft visit. "We knew a lot about him and studied him. We just missed on him, too. Obviously, we could’ve drafted him up until that point, and we didn’t. I don’t remember the exact details of it, but unfortunately, that’s one that got away. But he’s a great player, great guy, local guy. [I have] all the respect in the world for him as a player. He’s definitely a factor.
"I don’t want to say public enemy, but he’s Ravens enemy No. 1 right now, or maybe No. 2, or maybe No. 3. They have a few of them over there, but he’s a guy that we have to keep a good eye on.”
One week after dealing with Tennessee's dominant running game, the Ravens will have to deal with the Bills, who like to throw the ball downfield. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen is having an MVP-caliber season, throwing for a franchise-record 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns, along with 10 interceptions. He also has run for 421 yards with eight scores.
Baltimore's secondary will be under pressure for much of the night.
"I feel like we have some of the top run-stoppers in the league up front, and we have some of the top corners on the outside, as well," Ravens safety Chuck Clark said. "So, I mean that’s what we’re here to do. That’s what football is; it’s a matchup league, and it’s a matchup game. So, I like our matchups."
Diggs is expecting a tough test from Baltimore cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters. The Ravens were ranked sixth against the pass during the regular season allowing 221 yards per game.
Diggs had six receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown during the 27–24 win over the Colts in the wild-card round.
"Marlon Humphrey is the best in the league right now at the Peanut Tillman punch - the Peanut Punch," Diggs said. "He's done it extremely well, and Marcus Peters definitely has some turnovers as well as far as stripping the ball. But it's something that you want to not only note, but you want to be working on it in practice. As far as just guys stripping at the ball and punching out the ball because it's going to happen in a real live game.
"They've done extremely well with it this season and even in the past, I think in the previous years, not just this year he had a number of forced fumbles last year as well. So, it's something that you not only just take seriously but something that you need to work at because it is a real live situation and it's the playoffs. In the playoffs, everybody knows you are looking to get turnovers. You're looking to create ways and to get ways to get the defense the ball, so it's something that we've taken pretty seriously."
