Rookie Byrd takes flight

The Buffalo Bills drafted Jairus Byrd because of his knack for making big plays. Little did they know he would rub off on the rest of the defense. The rookie safety intercepted two passes on Sunday, setting the tone for a performance that saw the Bills make six interceptions. It was the most pickoffs in a game by the Bills since 1967. "Turnovers are contagious," said safety George Wilson, who had one of the interceptions. "Once they start coming, sometimes they don't stop. Obviously, Jairus got the ball rolling for us. When he got his, everybody just started to feed off them." The Bills had designs on making Byrd a starter after drafting him in the second round out of Oregon. They love his nose for the ball as evidenced by his 17 career interceptions as a cornerback. But his move into the starting lineup was by necessity because of injuries to Donte Whitner and Bryan Scott. Whitner returned Sunday at Scott's strong safety spot, while Byrd remained at free safety. It's a position he might own for a long time. "I'm just learning with every game I play," Byrd said. "Guys like Donte and George and the other guys are helping me a lot. As a young guy, I'm just out there playing mostly on instincts. They keep me calm so I can do the things I'm capable of." Byrd displayed his abilities early in the game with a diving interception. The pass was intended for Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards, but he tipped the ball and Byrd caught it while falling to the ground. His second interception was a jump ball situation where the pass hung in the air because of the wind and he was able to position himself in front of Edwards. "On the first one, I was expecting to make a big hit, but the ball bounced off [Edwards'] hands and into mine," said Byrd, who stretched out to make a diving interception last week against the Cleveland Browns. "[On the second interception] I actually mis-timed my jump, but I got my hands around the ball. [Edwards] tried to take it away from me, but I was able to hold on to it." Head coach Dick Jauron was impressed by Byrd's performance. "He makes unbelievable plays on the ball," Jauron said. "He has terrific ball skills. He's just a really good player." Byrd had a good feel for the opponent because he faced Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez last season when Sanchez played at Southern California. Byrd said the Bills' defense took advantage of Sanchez's inexperience by disguising coverages. When he wasn't locking onto his intended targets, Sanchez was putting balls up for grabs. "He was a little careless with the ball," Byrd said. "I played him when he was at USC, so I knew what kind of quarterback he was. I didn't expect five [interceptions], but we'll take it." The Bills' takeaway fest was all the more impressive considering the constant changes in the secondary. Wilson stepped in when Whitner hurt his ankle. Cornerback Reggie Corner stepped in for injured starter Terrence McGee and made a critical interception in the fourth quarter. Safety John Wendling made the fifth interception on a pass from Jets punter Steve Weatherford, who tried to throw after mishandling a snap on a potential field goal attempt in overtime. Middle linebacker Paul Posluszny, who returned from a broken arm, had the final pick, which set up Rian Lindell's game-winning field goal in the extra period. "We pride ourselves when somebody goes down you just got to be ready," Byrd said. "That's what [secondary] coach George [Catavolos] preaches in our meeting room. You never know when your chance is going to come. When our chances came everybody was ready, and we went out there and showed it." e-mail: awilson@buffnews.com