Tag: Stefon Diggs

Stefon Diggs on pregame scuffle with Jaire Alexander: ‘I’m never the bigger person’

“I ain’t letting [expletive] go.”

Stefon Diggs has carved out a place as one of the NFL’s most dynamic wide receivers in his 10 year pro career. He’s also garnished a reputation as someone who believes in himself above all else, a trait that helped push him out of comfortable spots with the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills.

That belief pushed him from a former fifth round draft pick to first-team All-Pro. It’s also led to feuds and scuffles along the way. In Week 7, this manifested in a pre-game tussle with Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander. Talk turned into shoving and players from the Packers and Diggs’s Houston Texans had to be separated before the opening kickoff.

It caught head coach Demeco Ryans’s eye, who said “we can’t be about chirping” in his postgame press conference. But if he wants his veteran wideout to be the bigger man, well, bad news.

“I don’t give a [expletive] if I’m by myself or with a million. I’m never the bigger person. I ain’t letting [expletive] go,” Diggs said after being held to five catches and just 23 receiving yards in a 24-22 loss. “They picked it up or whatever. But I ain’t with the football tough guy [expletive].”

Diggs and Alexander had prior beef. They had a 2022 shouting match before a Packers-Bills game that culminated with the receiver hauling in 108 yards worth of catches in a win and Alexander calling him a “little boy.” This time, Alexander picked up the victory — not that it seems to matter all that much to Diggs.

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Texans WR Stefon Diggs explains pregame scuffle with Packers CB Jaire Alexander

Stefon Diggs offered a direct and candid answer following Sunday’s altercation with Jaire Alexander

Houston Texans receiver Stefon Diggs made it clear that while his pregame scuffle with Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander caused a commotion, he doesn’t regret calling out the All-Pro defender.

“I don’t give a f— if I’m by myself or with a million. I’m never the bigger person. I ain’t letting s— go,” Diggs told reporters. “They picked it up or whatever. But I ain’t with the football tough guy s—.”

While walking back to the locker room, Diggs said he heard “chirping” coming from the Packers’ sidelines. He found Alexander and called him out.

Soon enough, other Green Bay players started to get involved. Eventually, multiple coaches had to break up Diggs, Alexanders and others so the two sides could head back to the locker room.

Following Green Bay’s 24-22 win, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said would’ve preferred for Diggs to “be the bigger person.”

“We don’t want to encourage that,” Ryans said. “We just want to go out and play ball the right way and make sure it’s settled on the field. We can’t be about chirping and all the extra stuff, we’ve just got to be about executing when the ball is snapped.”

Sunday marked the sixth time Diggs and Alexader went up against each other and the first since 2022. Back with the Buffalo Bills, Diggs finished with 108 receiving yards and a touchdown.
For his career, the four-time Pro Bowl receiver had totaled over 400 receiving yards and six touchdowns in coverage against Alexander. On Sunday, the Packers held Diggs to five catches for 23 yards and one first-down reception.
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“How we played offensively is just not good enough for us,” Ryans said. “We have to play better. Guys have to execute better. Have to step up.”
The Texans return to NRG Stadium to take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at noon CT.

Watch: Texans WR Stefon Diggs involved in pregame incident with Packers CB Jaire Alexander

Jaire Alexander and Stefon Diggs already have the tempers flaring before kickoff at Lambeau Field.

Tempers are flaring early at Lambeau Field between Houston Texans receiver Stefon Diggs and Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexader.

Expect this to be a storyline of the afternoon between the two All-Pro talents.

Diggs appeared to get into it with several Packers players, including Alexander, during pregame warmups. Coaches and others got involved as separated, but not before a few words were exchanged between the two.

Here’s a look at the incident below.

This isn’t the first time these two have had beef. It dates back to Diggs’ time with the Minnesota Vikings and Alexander’s rookie season with the Packers back in 2018.

It continued to Diggs’ stint with the Buffalo Bills. In 2022, the two went up against one another in coverage and had multiple fights between reps.

Diggs finished that game with six catches for 108 yards and a touchdown. Alexander allowed four catches for 68 yards and the score. Sunday will mark the sixth time the two have faced each other in coverage.

In the five previous games, Diggs has totaled 44 receptions for 419 yards and six receiving touchdowns against Alexander. The 6-foot Alexander has one interception and six pass deflections in those games.

Earlier this week, the four-time Pro Bowler declined to comment on his skirmishes with Alexander in the past.

“I could say yeah, but it’s no different than our approach any other week,” Diggs said. “I try to earn it each and every week in practice, try to get on the same page with my quarterback. I don’t really try to get into all the extra stuff.”

The Texans will receive the ball to begin the second half.

Can Packers finally snap Stefon Diggs’ near record touchdown streak?

Former Vikings and current Texans WR Stefon Diggs has a TD catch in 8 straight games against the Packers. Can Green Bay snap the streak on Sunday?

Former Minnesota Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs has been a thorn in the Green Bay Packers’ side for the better part of the last decade. Now in Houston, Diggs will bring with him an impressive (and near record long) touchdown streak against the Packers when the Texans get to Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Dating back to 2016, Diggs has a touchdown catch in eight consecutive games against the Packers.

According to the Texans, Diggs will tie for the NFL’s second longest streak with a touchdown catch against a single opponent if he catches a touchdown against the Packers on Sunday. Bob Hayes holds the record with 12 consecutive games with a touchdown against the New York Giants. Mel Gray is second at nine consecutive games (vs. Dallas Cowboys).

According to Stathead, Diggs is currently tied with Hall of Famer Randy Moss for the most consecutive games with a touchdown catch against the Packers. Counting the playoffs, Moss had eight straight against the Packers between 2002 and 2012.

Between 2016 and 2019, Diggs was active for seven games against the Packers while with the Vikings. He caught a touchdown pass in all seven games. In 2022, Diggs caught a touchdown pass from Josh Allen in a 27-17 win over the Packers in Buffalo.

For his career, Diggs has 52 catches for 764 yards and nine touchdowns in 10 games against the Packers. With another touchdown catch, Diggs would become just eighth player in history to catch at least 10 career touchdown passes against the Packers.

Keeping Diggs out of the end zone will be a priority for the Packers on Sunday. The Texans won’t have top receiver Nico Collins, who is on injured reserve, leaving Diggs as one of the go-to targets for C.J. Stroud in the passing game.

Now almost 31 years old, Diggs is still producing. He has at least four catches in all six games with the Texans this season, and he caught a touchdown pass from Stroud in last week’s win in New England.

Through six games, Diggs is catching 77.2 percent of targets, a career high. He’s also averaging 8.2 yards per target.

Few receivers have been as productive, especially over the last five seasons. Diggs has 100 or more catches in four straight seasons and 1,000 or more receiving yards in six straight seasons.

Can the Packers keep Diggs out of the end, snap his impressive streak and halt Stroud and the Texans’ undermanned passing game on Sunday?

Hall of Fame WR on Amari Cooper: Opposite of Stefon Diggs’ personality

Hall of Fame WR on Amari Cooper: Opposite of Stefon Diggs’ personality

The Buffalo Bills traded for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper on Tuesday, and with that came some hot takes from the national media.

Fox Sports’ Michael Irvin had some words on the matter. More specifically, the Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer compared Cooper to former Bills WR Stefon Diggs. And, he wasn’t comparing their play on the field. Everyone knows they can both play at a high level. He was comparing their personalities in the Bills’ locker room.

On the Cooper to Buffalo trade, Irvin said, “I think it’s interesting that this is such an antithesis when you talk about Stefon Diggs. Personality-wise, they are absolute opposites. This is a quiet guy who’s going to be in the locker room just playing chess with people. He literally plays chess. He’s not going to be loud. He’s not gonna cause any stir. When the game pressure is on the line… he’s not going to be like Stefon Diggs demanding that the man throw you the ball no matter what. That’s what is different. Right now, that’s good for Josh Allen to get that talent without that noise.”

These are quite the statements coming from Irvin given that he knows Cooper well due to their Cowboys connection. And, Irvin had Cooper’s back when the Cowboys traded him to the Browns in 2022.

Take a look at the full video segment from Fox Sports’ SPEAK show:

https://x.com/SpeakOnFS1/status/1846307063095611634

Bills GM Brandon Beane: ‘We have been all in, all along’

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane joined the Pat McAfee show Wednesday to answer some questions in light of the recent trade for wide receiver Amari Cooper.

Beane made one thing loud and clear. The Bills were never thinking about a rebuild. The trade for Cooper was evidence that the Bills are still very much all in to win the whole thing.

“We are still all in… If Cleveland wasn’t ready to do this we were going to continue to monitor it,” Beane said. “We still got a few weeks before the deadline. If we feel there is something else that we need or we feel there is something else that can get us over the top… we have been all in all along.”

When the Bills didn’t bring back a handful of marquee players this offseason, there were murmurs that it was a “reload” or “rebuild” year for the team. Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White, Stefon Diggs, Mitch Morse, Gabe Davis, Micah Hyde… there were a lot of familiar names and trusted leaders who exited the team. But, Beane had a plan all along. It wasn’t a rebuild, it was a transition.

“I know we have lost some names this offseason… some guys who have been captains… this was what I said was an offseason of transition,” Beane said. “The mindset here, as long as Josh Allen is our quarterback, we’re going to try to win this thing and we’re going to do what we can every single year.”

So, sitting at 4-2 with a lead in the AFC East, the team added a legit number-one receiver and has left the door open to upgrade the team further before the trade deadline. These are reassuring words from Beane if you are a Bills fan.

Take a look at the full response from Beane on the Pat McAfee Show:

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Watch: Texans WR Stefon Diggs shows off No. 1 mentality with TD vs. Patriots

Stefon Diggs is picking up the pace as the Houston Texans top new target with Nico Collins sidelined.

Well, that was fast.

Two plays after Danielle Hunter’s strip-sack against New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, the Houston Texans extended their lead to 14 with a C.J. Stroud 10-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs.

Diggs, who currently leads Houston in receptions (5) and receiving yards (65), is expected to take over as the new No. 1 option with Nico Collins on the injured reserve. For the third game, he’ll likely finish as the team leader in both catches and receiving yards.

Stroud’s ugly interception is the one blemish on what has been a positive day for the offense in Foxborough. He’s 16-of-24 for 158 yards and three touchdown passes entering the fourth quarter.

All three of Stroud’s touchdown passes have come against man coverage so far. Tank Dell beat Jonathan Jones for a 2-yard score on the opening drive. Joe Mixon’s flat route secured a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Diggs, best known for his superior route-running skills, beat second-year cornerback Christian Gonzalez with a cut inside.

With a win on Sunday, Houston would improve to 5-1, marking its best start since 2012.

Watch: Texans WR Tank Dell haul in first TD of the season

The Houston Texans are on the board first after Tank Dell found the end zone for the first time this season.

What a way to start in Foxborough.

The Houston Texans are on the board first thanks to a 2-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud to Tank Dell. The score was Dell’s first of the season after reaching the end zone seven times in 10 games as a rookie.

Stroud finished the drive 5-of-6 for 54 yards with a touchdown. With Nico Collins sidelined for four weeks, Houston’s quarterback connected with Stefon Diggs twice for 24 yards.

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Stroud also found Dell twice for a gain of 20 before setting up the score.

Houston received assistance from New England when the Patriots committed pass interference on Dalton Schultz on third-and-goal. The Texans paid off the penalty with the seven points two plays later.

Houston also saw the return of running back Joe Mixon, who had five carries for seven yards. Houston’s drive lasted 11 plays and 5:47 over 65 yards.

Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who is making his debut will no have to play from behind.

Do the Bills need a star WR to truly be competitive this season?

After Sunday’s 23-20 loss at the Houston Texans, the Buffalo Bills need to find a way to bring in a star wide receiver before it’s too late.

The Buffalo Bills (3-2) are coming off a disappointing 23-20 loss to Stefon Diggs and the Houston Texans on in Week 5 in which plenty of issues arose for the Bills.

For one, head coach Sean McDermott had arguably his worst coaching performance during his tenure in the final minutes of Sunday’s close loss to a Texans team that led by 17 points at one point before the Bills made a furious comeback.

However, Sunday also showed that Buffalo is missing something that Bills fans were hoping wouldn’t come to pass and that’s needing a star wide receiver to be the WR1. Granted, this could be seen as an overreaction given that the Bills’ passing attack was fine when they won their first three games of the season.

Against the Texans, star quarterback Josh Allen and company were only able to rack up 131 passing yards, their lowest total of the season not including a 31-10 win over the Miami Dolphins in which Buffalo blew out the Dolphins from the beginning. As of this writing, not including Monday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints, the Bills are 24th in the NFL in passing yards.

The plan coming into this season was for the offense to be operated in a committee type of passing offense where not one player dominates the target share similar to what Diggs did for Buffalo last season. As it stands, that plan has mostly worked as four different players for the Bills have at least 123 receiving yards through five games.

For anyone who watched Sunday’s loss at Houston, it became clear that the Bills can use another player within the receiving corps to make things easier for the group, maybe someone like Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams.

If not, Buffalo could be asking too much for Allen to do, especially when it comes to facing the better teams in the NFL.

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Stefon Diggs makes honest admission about Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez

Stefon Diggs had some high praise for Christian Gonzalez

Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs admitted that New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez has been “very impressive” up to this point.

When healthy, Gonzalez has been a problem for some of the top receivers in the NFL. However, he’s never had an opportunity to go head-to-head with Diggs yet.

There was some overlap last season with Diggs still with the Buffalo Bills, but Gonzalez’s rookie season ended after only four games with a shoulder injury. However, everything will come full circle on Sunday when the Texans visit the Patriots.

“He’s very impressive,” Diggs said when speaking about Gonzalez to media members, via KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson. “He got hurt last year. I was in Buffalo last year. …Great hips, a strong guy, too. Coming out, he was one of the top picks, obviously. He was impressive in college.

“So definitely something for us to look forward to, me personally. I’ve been in the league a long time. I done seen a lot of corners. So he’s definitely a hell of an athlete.”

The Patriots will have their hands full in holding off the Texans’ high-powered offense spearheaded by burgeoning star quarterback C.J. Stroud.

But even with players missing at every level, the Patriots defense has fought valiantly through the first five games. We’ll see if that effort continues in Week 6 with the meeting between Diggs and Gonzalez being the highlighted matchup.

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