Damiere Byrd led the New England Patriots in snaps at receiver but didn’t have a single pass thrown his way in the team’s 21-11 win over the Miami Dolphins. He was on the field for 56 snaps, 88% of the offensive reps.
Byrd was largely a non-factor, in part because of an inability to separate and in part because of the context of the offense in Week 1.
With the Patriots focusing heavily on the running game, New England threw the ball just 19 times. They were able to rely on their running backs on both the ground and in the passing game, which was an encouraging development. Quarterback Cam Newton had a team-high 15 carries for 75 yards and two touchdowns, as the Patriots rushed 42 times for 217 yards and three touchdowns as a team. Running backs James White and J.J. Taylor combined for four receptions and 34 yards.
And perhaps because Julian Edelman was limited in practice with a knee injury, the Patriots went conservative with his snap count. With no one making plays in the passing game, the Patriots may have felt like they had to run the ball at a high volume. It’s clear the Patriots want to avoid running the ball with Newton at such a high volume in the future. The team needs its receivers to step up.
Here’s a look at how the receiver snaps broke down:
Byrd: 56 snaps (88%), 0 targets
N’Keal Harry: 51 snaps (80%)
Julian Edelman: 37 snaps (58%)
Jakobi Meyers: 7 snaps (11%)
Not only did Byrd struggle on offense, but he muffed a punt, which led to his demotion as punt returner the next time out. Edelman took the job for one punt before the team put Byrd back on the field fielding punts.
It’s unlikely Byrd gets as many snaps in Week 2 after his lackluster performance. He brings a unique level of speed to a receiver group which doesn’t quite have a top-end burner. But that only goes so far.
Byrd got a major opportunity on Sunday, and perhaps out of necessity. His inability to do anything with that opportunity does not bode well for his role going forward. So as Edelman gets healthier, the Patriots will phase him in and, in turn, New England will likely diminish Byrd’s role. If Gunner Olszewski, who is on injured reserve, gets healthy, the Patriots may look toward him (and away from Byrd) when he returns after Week 3.
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