The playoff drought the Buffalo Bills went through for 17 seasons was pure disappointment for Bills Mafia. During that time, Buffalo had a record of .500 or better just 5 times, per Pro Football Reference. They also had no more than 6 wins in 8 of those seasons. Long story short, each season was tough to watch.
Through the revolving door of quarterbacks and head coaches, the Bills were a laughing stock in the NFL. While they did play some good football, it was too inconsistency and their season always ended before the end of the regular season. Even though this time period was rough for the Bills, they still managed to have some great talent that was on the roster.
Bills had one of the best safeties that was quickly forgotten about
Bradley Locker from Pro Football Focus (PFF) put together a list the highest-graded seasons by NFL position in PFF history, and the Bills have one player that stood out in the secondary at safety. It was a two-way tie between Eddie Jackson of the Chicago Bears, and Jairus Byrd of the Buffalo Bills.
"Not many would’ve anticipated these two players sitting atop the safety perch, but their efforts were outstanding. In 2012 and 2018, Byrd and Jackson each tied the PFF record at safety with a 94.7 PFF coverage grade. For good measure, Byrd missed just 5.1% of tackle attempts that season, while Jackson added a 5.1% run stop rate that ranked in the 91st percentile." said Locker.
Byrd was drafted the Bills in the 2nd round of the 2009 NFL Draft, having played nine total seasons with the Bills, New Orleans Saints, and Carolina Panthers. Byrd made an immediate impact as a rookie with the Bills with 9 interceptions and 45 tackles. He was a true ballhawk for the team.
From 2010-2013 in Buffalo, Byrd racked up 13 interceptions, 311 total tackles, 3 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, and 2 defensive touchdowns. While he only played for the Bills for 5 seasons, his impact was undeniable. Byrd would eventually sign with the Saints after not being able to reach a deal with the Bills.
Byrd was one of those players that had so much talent, and provided a ton value to a team that felt like they were in a constant rebuild. His stay in Buffalo may have been shorter than fans wanted it to be, but he was a consistent playmaker that brought some great memories to the fanbase.
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