Roth: Bills' Jairus Byrd makes statement in win over Jets

ORCHARD PARK – Jairus Byrd's season of discontent is behind him now. Just as sure as spring turned into summer turned into fall turned into winter.

These days, it's all about the football.

Where the young talented starting free safety for the Buffalo Bills is most at peace, playing a game he was born to play, with genes passed down from an NFL-playing father.

If you want to talk about franchise tags and contract holdouts and injuries with Byrd, the conversation isn't going to last very long. Those topics will surface again on another day, no doubt.

But on Sunday, in the wake of the Bills' stunning 37-14 victory over the rival New York Jets at Ralph Wilson Stadium, it was all about the football and how Byrd sparked a defensive effort so dominant, Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith was spared playing the final 13 minutes to preserve his safety as well as his sanity.

A day Jairus Byrd made a clear and convincing statement: he's back.

"I don't know if I was any different,'' said Byrd, who missed the season's first five games battling plantar fasciitis in both feet following his long summer holdout. "You are who you are it's just that I hadn't played the game in awhile. It was just a matter of feeling comfortable in the system and in the game. Hopefully I'm headed in the right direction.''

After collecting a sack, two interceptions and four tackles against the Jets, the first time a Bills player ever recorded a sack and two picks in the same game, Jairus Byrd's compass is once again pointing toward stardom and a long-term deal with the Bills. Because this much is clear: If Buffalo's management team doesn't want to pay the guy, there are plenty of teams that will.

"They've got an excellent ball hawk back there at safety who made a couple of great plays against us,'' Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "That Byrd kid does a nice job. Obviously it wasn't our day.'' Ryan watched Smith, who played so well in the season's first meeting against the Bills, get tossed around to the tune of four sacks, eight hits, three interceptions and a fumble as his ex-defensive coordinator, Mike Pettine, dialed up big play after big play as if Ryan was still using the 2012 Jets playbook.

Smith completed just 8 of 23 throws for a 10.1 rating. If Smith's rating were a stock, it would've stopped trading in the second quarter when he didn't complete a pass.

Byrd and his buddies turned The Ralph into a game of sandlot, drawing up plays in the dirt.

On the Jets first series, Byrd chose one of the many options given players in Pettine's attacking system, blitzed on third-and-three, and sacked Smith for a nine-yard loss. That set up Buffalo's first touchdown. Then, after a sack/fumble by Kyle Williams led to another Buffalo TD, Byrd stepped into a pass intended for tight end Jeff Cumberland, returned the interception 21 yards, setting up a field goal. The Bills were suddenly up 20-0 and the romp was on.

"There's a menu of things you can do in this defense,'' Byrd said.

From Williams collecting two sacks to Da'Norris Searcy capping the day with a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown, Buffalo kept feasting off the menu, putting together more highlight reel additions in one game than the previous 10 combined during this campaign that now stands at 4-7.

As for Byrd, 27, and his future with the team, it was clear in his post-game news conference how much he wants to remain in a Bills uniform. Money is always a factor but it's not the only factor. He likes where this team is headed. And if the Bills fail to keep Byrd and his 300-plus career tackles, 21 interceptions and 26 total takeaways in the fold, they'll have a lot of explaining to do.

"Honestly, I'm over that,'' Byrd said of his contract situation. "I've been here four years and I want to win games here.

"I'm having a lot of fun,'' he added. "There are a lot of new faces but I've gotten comfortable and gotten a good feel for everyone in the locker room. A lot of people use the saying 'Family' but it really is. If you can go out there and just play with your brothers and have fun, there's nothing like it.''

Sure doesn't sound like a Byrd readying to fly to a greener pasture.