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The NFL season is wrapping up over the course of this month. And some former Syracuse Orange football players are right in the thick of the playoff chase. Even for the ones that aren’t, though, there’s still games to be played and stats to accumulate.
Here’s how SU’s alums fared during week 14’s NFL action:
Jay Bromley, DT, New York Giants
Bromley registered one tackle in Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys. He’s seen his contributions increase over the course of the last few weeks. That’s bound to continue with the Giants focused on youth and a better draft pick.
Riley Dixon, P, Denver Broncos
For the third time in five weeks, Dixon averaged 47 yards or more per punt. In this week’s win over the Jets, he had five punts for an average of 49.4 yards and two inside the 20 (though also with two touchbacks). He was instrumental in Denver shutting out New York and is now up to 14th in punting average on the season.
Dwight Freeney, DE, Detroit Lions
For the second straight week with the Lions, Freeney failed to log any stats. One would think that Detroit would have at least a little use for the Hall of Fame-bound pass-rusher as they push for the playoffs.
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Chandler Jones, LB, Arizona Cardinals
Jones continued his huge season for the Cards, tallying five tackles on Sunday — including one sack and two run-stuffs. The defensive effort was big for Arizona in a 12-7 win over Tennessee. Chandler now has 14 sacks on the season, which leads the league. He’s a serious contender for defensive player of the year, even with the Cardinals a near-certainty to miss the postseason.
Cameron Lynch, LB, Los Angeles Rams
In his first game back with the Rams (the team that he was with initially out of college), Lynch didn’t log any statistics. Given L.A.’s status as an NFC contender, his play time could be minimal outside of special teams.
Justin Pugh, OL, New York Giants
Pugh continues to be out with a back injury that’s sidelined him for a significant portion of the season. It seems unlikely he’d return at this point. We’ll see what that does to his potential earnings on the market this offseason.
Shamarko Thomas, S, Buffalo Bills
#SHAMARKO had one tackle in Buffalo’s overtime win over Indianapolis this week. While he’s not providing the gaudiest stat lines, the former Orange defender has still been part of a Bills defense that’s pushing this team toward a potential playoff bid.