Syracuse Football in the NFL: Week 4 recap of former Orange standouts in the pros

For reasons good and bad, former Syracuse football players were in the middle of some key NFL games this weekend. While he didn’t play in the game, Jackson Meeks was elevated to the Lions roster from the practice squad before Week 4. That gives us another former Orange to keep tabs on moving forward. Here is how the rest of the former Syracuse players fared in Week 4.

Zaire Franklin, Colts

Despite the Colts losing their first game of the season, Franklin did a little bit of everything for the Indy defense against the Rams. He had seven tackles, one defended pass, and one QB hit. Of course, his defended pass was on a pass that he probably should have intercepted. During the game, Franklin looked to be limping a little but continued to play.

LeQuint Allen, Jaguars

It was a mixed performance for Allen on Sunday, as the Jaguars beat the 49ers on the road. He accidentally stepped out of bounds immediately after receiving the ball on a kickoff return, costing his team field position. However, he made up for that by recovering Travis Hunter’s fumble. Allen had no carries, while continuing to play mostly on third downs, but he did have one catch for seven yards.

Andre Szmyt, Browns

Unfortunately, the Browns weren’t in a position for Szmyt to make a game-winning field goal for a second straight week. He made one field goal and converted a PAT try in a 34-10 loss to the Lions. 

Oronde Gadsden, Chargers

Gadsden was active for a second straight game but didn’t make a huge impact, as the Chargers lost to the Giants. On three targets, he had two catches for 16 yards. Meanwhile, his college and pro teammate Marlowe Wax had two tackles.

Riley Dixon, Buccaneers

For the second time this season, Dixon had a punt blocked. The Eagles ended up returning the block for a touchdown, which was the difference in Tampa’s 31-25 loss. On the bright side, Dixon was the holder on Chase McLaughlin’s 65-yard field goal, the longest outdoor field goal in NFL history.

Sean Tucker, Buccaneers

Still no offensive touches for Tucker, who had three kickoff returns for 54 total yards. 

Andre Cisco, Jets

Cisco and the Jets suffered yet another loss on Monday night, dropping them to 0-4. Despite taking some criticism from fans online, Cisco had eight tackles, including five solo tackles, in the losing effort. On the season, he ranks second on the Jets in tackles.