Syracuse Orange in the NFL: Week 17 led by strong outing from kicker Andre Szmyt

Amidst the holiday season, several former Syracuse football players played a role in the NFL playoff push. Granted, some are on playoff-bound teams, while others are on teams playing spoiler. Virtually every former Orange who took the field found a way to contribute. Let’s take a look at what happened in week 17.

Andre Szmyt, Browns

The Browns pulled off an upset over the Steelers in week 17, preventing Pittsburgh from winning the AFC North. Szmyt played a key role by making an extra point and two field goals. That includes a 50-yard field goal to end Cleveland’s first drive of the game, giving the Browns an early lead they would not relinquish.

LeQuint Allen, Jaguars

The Jaguars played a tight game with the Colts in week 17, so there wasn’t much time for Allen outside of blocking and special teams. He had just one carry for three yards on offense, along with one tackle on special teams and two kickoff returns for 58 total yards. A win next week will give Allen and the Jags the AFC South title.

Zaire Franklin, Colts

It was Franklin and the Colts on the losing end of Jacksonville’s win on Sunday. Franklin had five tackles for the Colts, who had already been eliminated from the playoff picture before the game.

Oronde Gadsden, Chargers

In a losing effort, Gadsden was once again a key part of the offense for the Chargers. He had three catches for 32 yards, including the team’s first touchdown of the game. However, Gadsden also had a memorable drop that hurt the Chargers in a 20-16 loss.

Ifeatu Melifonwu, Dolphins

Melifonwu and the Dolphins played spoiler against the Buccaneers and a couple of former Syracuse players in week 17. He had five tackles, including three solo tackles, in a 20-17 win.

Sean Tucker, Buccaneers

Tucker’s streak of three straight games with a touchdown is over. He got just two carries and gained eight total yards during Tampa’s loss. In fairness, the Bucs had just 16 rushing plays all game. The silver lining for Tampa is that a win next week can still get them into the playoffs despite a four-game losing streak.

Riley Dixon, Buccaneers

Despite the Bucs scoring a mere 17 points, Dixon was only asked to punt three times. He averaged 42 yards per punt and had a long of 58 yards, with two of his punts dropping inside the 20-yard line.