The hero of Buffalo’s overtime win over the Cardinals was safety Jairus Byrd. And Byrd learned a thing or two about NFL football from one of the Cardinals’ all-time greats.
The son of former NFL defensive back Gill Byrd, Jairus Byrd learned plenty from former Cardinals and Rams cornerback Aeneas Williams, whom Jairus calls “Uncle Aeneas.” Byrd’s big play came in the stadium where Uncle Aeneas appears in the Ring of Honor.
“It certainly put a smile on my face,” Williams told Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. “I wanted him to do extremely well, but he didn’t have to do it against my old team like that, especially not with my name up in the stadium.”
Byrd intercepted Arizona quarterback John Skelton after the Bills eschewed (I have to use that word at least once per week . . . because I really am as cool as the other side of the pillow) a 53-yard field goal attempt that, if successful, would have given Arizona a chance to match or beat the score. By forcing a turnover, Buffalo could then win it with a field goal.
And the Bills did.
“It put a lot of pressure on us, but we were ready for it,” Byrd said. “We already had it in our minds that it was going to come down to us to win the game.”
And so, even though the Bills have been outscored by 86 points in their three losses and the Patriots have been outscored by only four in their three losses, they are tied for first (and second . . . and third . . . and fourth) place in the AFC East with 10 games to go.