Week 3 finally brought some life to the Syracuse alumni crowd in the NFL, and one former Orange player even checked off a personal milestone. Nearly a dozen ex-Syracuse standouts saw the field over the weekend, with several making real noise in their roles.
The biggest individual stat line belonged to Zaire Franklin, who was busy all night for Green Bay in its Thursday home opener. He finished with 10 tackles, including one for a loss, but the Packers had no answer for Bijan Robinson and Drake London in a 35-14 loss to the Falcons.
Atlanta’s win had plenty of Syracuse fingerprints on it, too. Matthew Bergeron helped the Falcons control the ground game, as Atlanta rolled up 242 rushing yards against Green Bay. He also did his part in pass protection, with Michael Penix Jr. avoiding a sack all game in part because of Bergeron, who is living up to the four-year, $96 million extension he got from the Falcons in the offseason.
Matthew Bergeron has elite pliability. The man can win from any kind of platform. pic.twitter.com/s01cOmF2RS
- Theo Ash (@TheoAshNFL) September 26, 2026
Oronde Gadsden had a return-to-Buffalo storyline, but the afternoon didn’t go the Chargers’ way. He was targeted three times and didn’t come down with a catch, and a first-half drop stood out in a 24-16 loss to the Bills. Los Angeles also wasted five Buffalo turnovers.
Tommy DeVito got some late work in during New England’s 35-6 loss to Jacksonville, entering after a rough outing from Drake Maye. DeVito completed three of five passes for 30 yards and added two rushing yards. Even with Maye throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble, the backup role doesn’t appear to be changing right away.
LeQuint Allen was part of Jacksonville’s lopsided win over the Patriots and saw a bit more action than he had in the first two weeks. He’s still being used mostly as a pass blocker, but he did catch two passes for nine yards, a small but meaningful step forward.
Andre Cisco kept doing what he’s been doing, filling in for Minkah Fitzpatrick and making plays. In the Jets’ loss, he posted six tackles, five of them solo, and added a sack on a third down in the first quarter. He seems to find his way into the backfield every week.
Andre Cisco with the SACK 💪 @NYJvsDET on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/pi18RdMLb5
- NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2026
Jackson Meeks hit a career first in Detroit’s 31-24 win over the Jets. The former Syracuse receiver, now a tight end, caught the first pass of his NFL career, an eight-yard grab. He’s still third on the depth chart, but it was a nice sign of progress after limited action in the first two weeks.
Andre Szmyt stayed perfect for Cleveland, and the Browns stayed hot at 2-1. In a 21-18 win over the Panthers, he drilled both of his field-goal tries, each from at least 45 yards, and added his only extra point. Through three weeks, he’s 6-for-6 on field goals and 4-for-4 on PATs.
Riley Dixon had a much busier afternoon for Tampa Bay, which still didn’t have any touches for Sean Tucker. In the Buccaneers’ 23-16 loss to Minnesota, Dixon punted nine times and averaged 47.3 yards per kick, with a long of 59 yards and two punts downed inside the 20.
Garrett Williams finally made his season debut after missing the first two weeks with an injury, though it wasn’t a clean return. In Arizona’s 36-30 loss to the 49ers, he made one tackle and looked a step slow at times.
Alijah Clark got an unexpected opportunity in Dallas, and he made the most of the stage. The Cowboys’ secondary was hit hard by injuries in Brazil, which pushed Clark into safety duties. He finished with two tackles and a pass defended late in the game, and his role moving forward will depend on the health of the injured players.
In Other News...
Former Syracuse Standouts Just Landed A Real NBA Shot
Former Syracuse standouts William Kyle III and Cole Swider have both landed with the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of training camp, giving each a real shot to turn a summer opportunity into something more. For Orange fans, it is a familiar sort of NBA story: two players who took different paths through college, then found themselves in the same place with a chance to impress an organization that is always sorting through young talent and looking for useful depth.
Kyle brings a reputation built on defense after appearing in 131 college games, while Swider arrived in Syracuse as a scoring threat and averaged 13.9 points per game in his lone season there. Both are trying to earn a place on the Lakers roster, though the G-League is also part of the picture, and the next few weeks will determine whether this turns into a camp storyline or something a little more substantial. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Just Put Itself In Position For An Early QB Recruiting Win
Syracuse is trying to get ahead of the curve in the quarterback market, and its first offer in this cycle went to Philadelphia Belmont Charter signal-caller Nafis Watkins after he visited for Franchise Camp. The Orange gave Watkins a reason to remember the stop, and the young passer came away appreciative of the coaching staff and the program as he continues to build his profile.
Watkins already has the kind of early experience that tends to grab attention, having started as a freshman for a Belmont Charter team that finished 10-2 in 2025. For Syracuse, the pitch is simple: identify talent early, make the relationship count, and see whether the Orange can turn a camp visit into a head start in the recruiting race. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Still Has A Path Out Of This Frustrating Start
The frustration around Syracuses rough start has been easy to understand, especially after the Orange kept running into the same self-inflicted problems in recent losses. Drives have stalled when the offense gets into the red zone, opponents have found too many answers on third down, and the turnover and penalty margins have put Syracuse in tougher spots than it needs to be. Even so, the season picture is not beyond repair if the Orange can simply tighten the details that have repeatedly swung games the wrong way.
There are reasons to think the climb out is still possible, from potential lineup changes to the idea that cleaner play could immediately change the tone. The larger issue is urgency, because the margin for error has already narrowed and Syracuse cannot afford to keep leaving scoring chances on the table while giving opponents extra possessions and easy yards. The next stretch will say plenty about whether this is just a bad opening or the kind of start that lingers. [Read more 🡒]