Tag: Stefon Diggs traded

Texans WR Stefon Diggs admits what beating Bills meant to him

Stefon Diggs didn’t allow his emotions to bleed through during the week, but the Houston Texans receiver was honest following a win over the Buffalo Bills.

Stefon Diggs was quiet throughout the week leading up to Week 5’s showdown against the Buffalo Bills.

He never put the spotlight on himself, stating that he wouldn’t feel any extra emotions when taking on his old team.

But when Ka’imi Fairbirn’s game-winning 59-yard field goal cleared the uprights as time expired Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium, Diggs finally let his emotions tell the story.

“Honestly, it meant a lot to me,” Diggs said in front of dozens of reporters from both Houston and Buffalo following the Texans’ 23-20 win. “I held it in all week energy-wise. I tried not to bring it up too much. I had an interview earlier in the week where I just tried to keep it professional, but in the back of my mind it meant a lot to me. I wanted to do more showing than telling.”

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Sunday marked the first matchup between Houston and Buffalo since the two sides worked out a trade to send Diggs to Texas from Western New York. Even though he never requested a trade, both sides figured after last season’s playoff exit that change was needed.

Before hauling in touchdown passes from C.J. Stroud, Diggs became one of the league’s top targets while serving as Josh Allen’s go-to weapon. He was named to the Pro Bowl four times and earned All-Pro status in 2020.

While Diggs didn’t find the end zone, he served as the difference-maker in the passing game for Stroud after Nico Collins left with a hamstring injury in the first quarter, catching six passes for a team-leading 82 yards.

Two catches were for first-down conversions, including one that set up a 47-yard field goal for Fairbairn in the third quarter.

“He made some really big catches on third down to keep drives moving,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Play after play, Diggs stepped up and made plays. So I’m happy for him that we were able to get this win for him.”

Diggs, who is playing for a new contract after the Texans voided the final three years of his previous deal, told his teammates that Buffalo would be a “measuring stick” on where they stand among AFC contenders.

Entering Monday night, the Kansas City Chiefs remain the only undefeated roster in the conference at 4-0. Houston sits at 4-1 and could be viewed as the second-best roster in the AFC.

“If you want to be a good team, beat a good team because that’s a good team,” Diggs said of playing Buffalo. “They’re real disciplined, well-coached, and there are hell of players over there.”

Without Diggs, Josh Allen struggled to find any consistent passing. He finished  9-of-30 for a season-low 131 yards with one touchdown and a passer rating of 56.

No receiver for Buffalo totaled more than 49 yards on the afternoon.

“I understand he’s on their team,” Allen said after his interaction with Diggs. “He’s a great player, made some good plays for them and he was on the winning team.”

Diggs told reporters postgame that despite the victory, the celebration time is short-lived. Houston’s only a game behind the Chiefs and one above Buffalo in the AFC standings.

All three teams are in prime position to return to the postseason once more, so rocky performances that come down to game-winning kicks can’t be the backbone of the roster for the next 13 games.

But for a brief moment, Diggs can exhale with a sigh of gratitude to remain standing on the side of victory. Every win counts, but some signify more than what appears in the standings.

“He just wanted to play well against his former team,” Stroud said. “He did a good job by just letting his emotions affect his play, and he played great. Just happy that he’s happy with this dub.”

The Texans will travel to face the New England Patriots in Week 6. Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT.

New Texans WR Stefon Diggs faces two major opponents in 2024

Stefon Diggs will be going head-to-head against his former team and his brother’s team up the road in Dallas in 2024 as the newest member of the Houston Texans.

Stefon Diggs will hopefully be catching touchdown passes from C.J. Stroud as the Houston Texans’ new No. 1 target every Sunday in 2024, but there’s two games likely circled on his calendar.

When will they happen? Fans are still waiting for the schedule to be released, but at least they know the location heading into the draft.

Diggs, Houston’s newly acquired Pro Bowl receiver, will face off against his former team Buffalo at NRG Stadium during the regular season next fall. Both the Texans and Bills won their respective divisions, meaning they’ll face off during the regular season while playing a first-place schedule.

Diggs will also travel to Arlington to face off against younger brother and Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon at AT&T Stadium. The Diggs brothers weren’t able to go head-to-head last season in Buffalo’s 31-10 win after Trevon suffered a torn ACL in Week 2’s victory over the New York Jets.

Shipped off to Houston for a 2025 second-round pick, the Bills wanted to move off Diggs after the relationship took a turn last offseason. Despite being one of the league’s more consistent playmakers, it never felt like Diggs and Josh Allen were on the same page in the crucial moments.

That could change in Houston with Stroud as his new quarterback. Last season, the first-rounder led all passers in yards per game (274) and touchdown-to-interception ratio at 23:5. Even with the breakout season of Nico Collins, Stroud was able to feed the ball to a plethora of targets.

Five players, including tight end Dalton Schultz and rookie standout Tank Dell, caught at least 33 passes for over 400 receiving yards. Diggs, who finished with over 1,100 yards per season in Orchard Park, might see his production dip, but it could be for the good of the franchise.

If anything, defeating his former team in front of his new fans would be the crown jewel of the offseason. After that, securing bragging rights over his little brother in Jerry World might be as sweet as hoisting a Lombardi Trophy.

Trade alert: Stefon Diggs dealt to Houston Texans

A long time in the making, Diggs finally has been traded.

After swirling traded rumors for the past year and news reports to the contrary in the last few weeks, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been sent to the Houston Texans. The deal includes Buffalo shipping a sixth-round selection this year and a 2025 fifth-rounder in exchange for a 2025 second-round choice that, funnily enough, also once belonged to the Minnesota Vikings.

In short, Buffalo gets cheaper but has a glaring talent void to fill. The pool of remaining free agents has some familiar names but no one remotely as dangerous for defenses as Diggs, highlighted by the likes of Tyler Boyd, Michael Thomas, Michael Gallup, Odell Beckham Jr., Hunter Renfrow, Chase Claypool, and DJ Chark Jr.

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Internally, the Bills aren’t looking any prettier with just Curtis Samuel — a newcomer to the team — as the only established veteran on the roster. Khalil Shakir has flashed some talent, and Mack Hollins has done the same, but no one on the globe is expecting major contributions for either one, or both combined for that matter. Andy Isabella and KJ Hamler are the only other rostered names of note. Buffalo has two capable tight ends in Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid, plus running back James Cook is a plus receiver.

Expect at least one veteran to be signed, but this is a deep draft class for wideouts, and Buffalo could invest multiple early picks in the position. This team’s championship window seemingly has closed, and the regime may feel pressure to win now, which suggests a possible draft-day trade to acquire one of the top players. Don’t rule out a deal for another veteran … Brandon Aiyuk, Tee Higgins or Justin Jefferson, anyone?

Fantasy football takeaway

Diggs, who turns 31 in late November, is coming off his worst fantasy season since leaving the Vikings in 2019, and he still managed to catch 107 passes for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns! In the first half of last year, all looked like business as usual for the veteran, but the wheels came off down the stretch, and he failed to score 20-plus PPR points even once in the final 10 appearances (including playoffs) after doing so five times through the first nine contests.

Diggs will be the focal point of a blossoming offense in Houston with second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud coming off a marvelous rookie campaign. The move dampens the outlook of WR Nico Collins, who broke out in 2023, though he’ll remain relevant in fake football given the attention Diggs demands. Promising 2023 rookie Tank Dell is coming off a fractured fibula but will be 100% well ahead of Week 1. The retooled offense, which added veteran Joe Mixon to the backfield, is poised to be lethal.

Gamers shouldn’t automatically expect Diggs to top 100 catches, but there’s no reason he won’t cross the 85 mark through 17 appearances. Given his advancing age in WR years and the loaded weaponry around him, Diggs is a fringe No. 1 PPR receiver in the upcoming fantasy draft season.