Kevin Byard spent last week with one specific target in mind. The Patriots safety, who has made a career out of picking off some of the league’s biggest quarterbacks, wanted to add Aaron Rodgers to the collection when New England faced Pittsburgh.
“Definitely looking to get my first interception against Aaron Rodgers this week,” Byard said the week leading up to the game. “But, no, I think it’s going to be fun, and really I just want to win.
I don’t care if I don’t get an interception. If we just get some turnovers on defense, I’ll be more than happy.
But it’s definitely something that’s on my mind.”
Byard’s trophy case of interception balls already includes some familiar names. He said he has picks off Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson, among others, and that he keeps the footballs at home while trying to decide what to do with them after his playing days are over.
“Got (Patrick) Mahomes. Got Josh Allen a couple of times.
Dak Prescott a few times,” Byard said. “It’s countless, honestly.
It’s almost too much to count at this point. But I would say those are probably the top two, Josh Allen and Mahomes.
I think I got Lamar (Jackson) too, so I got a lot of guys.”
The interception against Rodgers never came for Byard, but the Patriots got the result he was after. New England rolled past the Steelers 20-3 in its home opener, held Rodgers in check for most of the afternoon and sacked him four times. The defense also forced its first two turnovers of the season.
The turnover that sealed it, though, belonged to someone else. After an Elijah Ponder sack pushed Pittsburgh back in the fourth quarter, Rodgers tried to get the ball to rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard on a screen. Bernard couldn’t hang on, and the ball bounced right to rookie edge rusher Gabe Jacas.
That meant Byard, who led the NFL in interceptions a year ago, missed out on his chance to finally notch one against Rodgers. Instead, it was Jacas, in just his second career game, who came away with the pick.
Byard still had a steady afternoon, finishing with four tackles. He also came close to a turnover earlier, when a tipped pass floated into the air and dropped near him. He dove for it, but the ball hit the ground before he could secure it.
“Yeah, I wanted it bad,” Byard said with a smile. “I kind of knew that the ball had hit the ground, so I just tried to give a good acting job. But no, man, I got very close to one.”
Unless the two teams meet again in the postseason, Byard may not get another shot at Rodgers, who is expected to retire at the end of the season. Even so, the Patriots captain made clear where his priorities sat once the game was over.
“But like I said, it’s more about the win and to see Gabe get an ... interception,” Byard said. “It’s just fun, all the coverage and the pass rush working together.”
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