Lions reeling after chaotic finish leaves them at 0-10-1
The Detroit Lions for all the mistakes they had made Thursday against the Chicago Bears still had one chance to pick up their first win of the seasonNOVEMBER 26, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
DAMIERE BYRD
Bears have no QB regrets despite Andy Dalton's effectiveness
Bears quarterback Andy Dalton had been effective in relief of injured rookie Justin Fields but not to the extent that coach Matt Nagy would regret the way he has handled the quarte...NOVEMBER 26, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Season-high five targets Byrd caught four passes for 42 yards in the Bears' 16-14 win over the Lions on Thursday.
Impact With Marquise Goodwin leaving the game early with a foot injury, Byrd served as the second receiver behind Darnell Mooney. Aside from Byrd's solid numbers, he was open for a likely touchdown in the first half, but Andy Dalton didn't put enough air under the pass, resulting in an interception. Should Allen Robinson (hamstring) and/or Goodwin be forced to miss additional time, Byrd could see significant playing time, which could lead to modest fantasy production.
NOVEMBER 26, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Lions find new ways of self-destructing in loss to Bears
When the Detroit Lions punted with 8:30 left against the Chicago Bears, quarterback Jared Goff was already planning what his offense would have to do nextNOVEMBER 25, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Andy Dalton ducks out of sack, fires strike to Damiere Byrd for 13 yards Bears QB Andy Dalton eludes the pressure and finds WR Damiere Byrd for a 13-yard pickup.
NOVEMBER 25, 2021 • CHICAGOBEARS.COM
Santos' game-ending FG ends Bears' skid versus winless Lions
Cairo Santos made a 28-yard game-ending field goal to give the Chicago Bears a 16-14 win over the Detroit Lions on ThursdayNOVEMBER 25, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Targeted twice Byrd caught a three-yard pass in the Bears' 16-13 loss to the Ravens on Sunday.
Impact Byrd was also targeted on a deep pass that was overthrown by Andy Dalton, which kept the receiver from posting a solid yardage total. With just four catches for 32 yards on the season, Byrd would need a significant increase in usage to have useful fantasy production.
NOVEMBER 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Catches first pass since Week 1 Byrd caught one pass for 10 yards in the Bears' 38-3 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Impact Byrd has just four receptions for 29 yards on the season, and unless his role in the Chicago offense changes significantly, he lacks the opportunity to be a reliable fantasy option.
OCTOBER 25, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Bears defense, running attack back up Justin Fields
Justin Fields continues to try to learn the ropes as the Chicago Bears starting quarterback and it never hurts to have someone to lean on while this process continuesOCTOBER 11, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Limited production in loss Byrd caught three passes for 19 yards in the Bears' 34-14 loss to the Rams on Sunday.
Impact Although he saw just three targets, Byrd played on 52 percent of the snaps, which placed him ahead of Marquise Goodwin (38 percent) in their battle for the third receiver spot. With the Bears offense unable to get much going in the passing game against a tough Rams defense, Byrd's receptions all went for short yardage, but if he continues to see the same percentage of snaps going forward, he could be a useful depth option in fantasy leagues.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Bears' Robinson: Motivation's same despite no multiyear deal
Chicago Bears star receiver Allen Robinson insists a contract negotiation that left him playing this season on the franchise tag rather than a multiyear deal didn’t give him a chip...SEPTEMBER 6, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Targeted twice Byrd caught one pass for four yards in the Bears' 41-15 preseason loss to the Bills on Saturday.
Impact Byrd was on the field at times with the first-team offense while Allen Robinson was sitting out, but with Andy Dalton unable to move the chains with any consistency, there weren't many targets to go around. Byrd is competing for a role as the team's No. 3 wide receiver as he comes off a career-high 604 yards with the Patriots last year.
AUGUST 21, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Marquise Goodwin & Damiere Byrd add speed threats to Bears offense The Chicago Bears added two speed threats to their offense this offseason with the signings of Damiere Byrd and Marquise Goodwin.
JUNE 29, 2021 • 247SPORTS.COM
Receiver Agholor getting accustomed to new offense with Pats
Transition is nothing new to Nelson AgholorJUNE 4, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sets career high with 47 catches Byrd carried once for four yards and caught one of his three targets for a seven-yard gain Sunday in the Patriots' 28-14 win over the Jets.
Impact Byrd finished his first season in New England with a career-high 47 catches for 604 yards and a touchdown to go with two carries for 15 yards. He was a fixture on the field while suiting up in all 16 games, garnering an 89.1 percent offensive snap share over the course of the campaign. When signed as a free agent by New England last March, Byrd seemed headed for a complementary role, but after the team parted ways with Mohamed Sanu prior to Week 1, Byrd ended up seeing regular playing time all season. That context resulted in several fantasy-worthy efforts from Byrd, but the overall inconsistency of the New England passing game resulted in him being a hit-or-miss lineup option. The 27-year-old is eligible to become a free agent this coming offseason, but Mike Reiss of ESPN.com believes that that the Patriots' potential overhaul at wideout could include trying to keep Byrd around.
JANUARY 6, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Murray returns from ankle injury, can't rally Cardinals
Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray sat out most of the first three quarters with an ankle injury and when he finally returned, wasn’t able to rally the Cardinals into the playoffsJANUARY 3, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Newton accounts for 4 TDs, Patriots roll 28-14 over Jets
Cam Newton had three touchdown passes and caught another and the New England Patriots rallied to beat the Jets 28-14 in Adam Gase's final game as New York's coachJANUARY 3, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sustains head injury Byrd suffered a head injury and won't return to Sunday's game against the Jets, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.
Impact Byrd caught one pass for seven yards and rushed once for four yards before exiting the game. N'Keal Harry and Donte Moncrief figure to get more tread with Byrd on the sidelines. Byrd's fifth NFL season finishes with career highs in receptions (47) and receiving yards (604), adding one touchdown.
JANUARY 3, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Catches one pass Byrd caught one of his three targets for seven yards in Monday night's 38-9 loss to the Bills.
Impact Playing time wasn't the issue for Byrd on Monday, as both he and Jakobi Meyers were on the field for all 50 of New England's snaps on offense. Rather, it was the team's struggles in the passing game (Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham combined for 78 yards in the air) that held him back. Plus, Byrd didn't help his cause by dropping a Newton pass on an otherwise well-executed trick play near the end zone early on. Despite his steady playing time, Byrd heads into Week 17 as a hit-or-miss fantasy option, due to the ongoing inconsistencies of his team's attack.
DECEMBER 29, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Pulls in three passes at Miami Byrd caught three of four targets for 24 yards during Sunday's 22-12 loss to the Dolphins.
Impact Byrd finished second on the team in targets Sunday, but that statement doesn't necessarily carry much weight given that the 27-year-old operates within New England's 29th-rated passing offense. The South Carolina standout has accumulated multiple catches in five consecutive appearances, but he's been less than explosive with those opportunities, eclipsing the 35-yard mark in receiving just once since Week 12.
DECEMBER 20, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Five grabs in lopsided loss Byrd brought in five of eight targets for 48 yards in the Patriots' 24-3 loss to the Rams on Thursday night.
Impact The speedster was able to muster a serviceable fantasy line from a PPR perspective, pacing the Patriots in receptions while checking in just a yard short of N'Keal Harry for tops in that category. Like the rest of New England's pass catchers, Byrd's consistency has suffered with an erratic Cam Newton under center, with the fifth-year wideout accumulating under 50 receiving yards in four of the last five games, including a catch-less effort across 42 snaps in Week 10 against the Ravens. However, there could be a quarterback change afoot if Jarrett Stidham's late-game appearance in place of an ineffective Newton on Thursday is any indication, and it remains to be seen if that would improve Byrd's fortunes over the last three games of the campaign were it come to pass.
DECEMBER 11, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Cam Newton locates Damiere Byrd wide open for big 25-yard pickup New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton locates wide receiver Damiere Byrd wide open for big 25-yard pickup.
DECEMBER 11, 2020 • NFL.COM
Musters up 16 yards Byrd caught two of three targets for 16 yards in Sunday's 45-0 win over the Chargers.
Impact With a significant lead for most of the game, the team leaned heavily on the running attack, and Cam Newton threw just 19 passes. Byrd finished second among Patriots' wide receivers with 52 snaps on offense (78 percent), and none of the team's wideouts caught more than two passes all afternoon. Byrd remains a starter on the team, but his fantasy value depends heavily on game script.
DECEMBER 7, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Catches three passes Sunday Byrd caught three of his team-high seven targets for 33 yards in Sunday's 20-17 win over the Cardinals.
Impact While Byrd, who was on the field 45 of a possible 53 snaps on offense Sunday, matched his target total from last week, his production took a dip in a game in which QB Cam Newton completed just nine of his 18 pass attempts for 84 yards. Though his 6-132-1 stat line Week 11 looks like an outlier, Byrd's steady playing time does at least give him an opportunity each week to help out those in deeper fantasy formats. Overall, he's logged 35 catches (on 55 targets) for 502 yards and a TD in 11 contests.
NOVEMBER 30, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Pats keep playoff hopes alive with 20-17 win over Cardinals
Nick Folk kicked a 50-yard field goal as time expired, and the New England Patriots rallied in the second half to beat the Arizona Cardinals 20-17NOVEMBER 29, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
