Former Syracuse football player Andre Cisco is not a popular man in Kansas City after a scary hit to Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on Sunday.
Smith-Schuster immediately went into concussion protocol after Cisco, a safety for the Jacksonville Jaguars, appeared to hit him in the head while breaking up a pass in the second quarter. A flag was thrown on the play, but it was picked up after officials had a conference.
“After discussion on the field, the two officials came in and determined that the defender had set and braced for impact and hit shoulder-to-shoulder,” referee Brad Rogers told a pool reporter afterwards. “They didn’t feel it was use of a helmet foul.”
Smith-Schuster was later diagnosed with a concussion and will have to clear the protocol before returning to NFL action.
“We were mad,” Chiefs safety Justin Reid told ESPN. “I’ve had a lot of big hits and not once have I made helmet-to-helmet contact like that.”
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid also said it looked like a hit to the head and said those kind of hits don’t “need to be in the game,” according to NBC Sports. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he didn’t think Cisco had bad intentions, but said it should have been penalized.
Cisco similarly faced criticism for a hit delivered to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, also during the second quarter. A flag was thrown for defensive holding by another Jaguars player, but not on Cisco. MVS had to briefly leave the game for evaluation, but returned.
“Those kind of hits are not welcome in this game, because we’re all playing and putting our lives on the line every single play and you never want to see a guy go down like that,” Valdes-Scantling told reporters after the game. “For me to come in and get the same kind of hit two plays later and there’s no flag, no penalty, you know, are they protecting us?”
NBC reports Cisco could still be fined by the league this week for the hit to Smith-Schuster.
Cisco also recorded three tackles and intercepted a pass from Mahomes for Cisco’s third career interception and third of the season. The Chiefs still won, 27-17, and improved to 7-2 on the season; the Jags are now 3-7.
Here’s how football players with Syracuse and Central New York ties did during Week 10:
Chandler Jones, LB, Las Vegas Raiders
Jones, a Rochester native who played three seasons as a defensive end at Syracuse University, continues to underperform this season, recording just two tackles against Indianapolis.
Last game: Colts 25, Raiders 20
Next game: Raiders at Broncos, Sunday at 4:05 p.m.
* * * * *
Zaire Franklin, LB, Indianapolis Colts
Former Syracuse linebacker Zaire Franklin, a team captain for Indy, lead Indy with 10 tackles against Las Vegas.
Last game: Colts 25, Raiders 20
Next game: Eagles at Colts, Sunday at 1 p.m.
* * * * *
Riley Dixon, P, Los Angeles Rams
Syracuse University and Christian Brothers Academy alum Riley Dixon kicked five punts for an average of 50.4 yards against Arizona.
Last game: Cardinals 27, Rams 17
Next game: L.A. Rams at Saints, Sunday at 1 p.m.
* * * * *
Latavius Murray, RB, Denver Broncos
The former Onondaga Central High School football star, who started the season with the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad, ran 9 times for 24 yards and added another 23 yards on 3 receptions.
Last game: Titans 17, Broncos 10
Next game: Broncos at Titans, Sunday at 1 p.m.
* * * * *
Justin Pugh, LG, Arizona Cardinals
Former Orange offensive lineman Justin Pugh is out for the season after suffering a knee injury.
Last game: Cardinals 27, Rams 17
Next game: 49ers at Cardinals, Nov. 21 at 8:15 p.m.
* * * * *
Alton Robinson, DE, Seattle Seahawks
The former Syracuse defensive end, who mixed it up on defense and special teams in his second NFL season last year, remains out with a knee injury.
Last game: Buccaneers 21, Seahawks 17
Next game: Raiders at Seahawks, Nov. 27 at 4:05 p.m.
* * * * *
Ifeatu Melifonwu, S, Detroit Lions
The former SU cornerback, who moved to the safety position for his second NFL season, has returned to limited action in practice weeks after suffering an ankle injury.
Last game: Lions 31, Bears 30
Next game: Lions at Giants, Sunday at 1 p.m.
* * * * *
Andre Cisco, S, Jacksonville Jaguars
Ex-Orange football star Andre Cisco had three tackles and an interception against Kansas City, plus a scary hit that sent JuJu Smith-Schuster into concussion protocol.
Last game: Chiefs 27, Jaguars 17
Next game: Jaguars at Chiefs, Sunday at 1 p.m.
* * * * *
Kingsley Jonathan, DE, Chicago Bears
Jonathan, a rookie defensive lineman out of Syracuse University, recorded two tackles against Detroit.
Last game: Lions 31, Bears 30
Next game: Bears at Falcons, Sunday at 1 p.m.
* * * * *
Syracuse University alumni on the sidelines include Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, Broncos offensive coach Justin Outten, New England Patriots offensive line coach Matt Patricia, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coach Teryl Austin, and New Orleans Saints offensive line coach Doug Marrone. Former SU head coach Paul Pasqualoni was fired by the Carolina Panthers as defensive line coach halfway through the 2022 season.