Falcons WR Damiere Byrd Capitalizing on Opportunities After Slow Start

After being inactive for the first three weeks and seeing just two targets through six contests, Atlanta Falcons veteran receiver Damiere Byrd has emerged as a legitimate field-stretcher and big play threat for the team's offense.

When the Atlanta Falcons signed receiver Damiere Byrd this past offseason, there were little secrets about what the seventh-year pro brought to the table.

With 61 games and 24 starts under his belt, Byrd was set to provide speed and experience to Atlanta's receiver room as a complimentary option. He was penciled in behind rookie first-round pick Drake London, fourth-year pro Olamide Zaccheaus and recently acquired former third-rounder Bryan Edwards.

With Pro Bowl tight end Kyle Pitts and running back Cordarrelle Patterson also being significant factors in Atlanta's offensive game plan, Byrd wasn't in line for a huge role to begin with - but after seeing over 160 targets across the last three seasons, he certainly expected more than how the first six weeks played out.

A healthy scratch the first three weeks, Byrd saw just two targets through Atlanta's first six games and was still looking for his first catch. Considering the 29-year-old had over 600 receiving yards just two seasons ago, the startling drop was an extreme side effect of the Falcons' run-heavy offense, but nonetheless a frustrating experience.

With the Falcons ranking 31st in pass attempts per game, targets are at a minimum, meaning it's critical to maximize each opportunity. Perhaps nothing embodied that more than Byrd's performance in Atlanta's Week 7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, where he was targeted just one time - a deep shot from quarterback Marcus Mariota that resulted in a 75-yard touchdown.

It marked Byrd's first catch with Atlanta and made him the team's leading receiver for the contest. In addition to his first reception, Sunday was also Byrd's first start with the Falcons and served as his highest snap share to date.

The New Jersey native proceeded to follow it up in a big way in the Falcons' 37-34 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, logging his second consecutive start and seeing a season-high six targets against the team he started his career with. He turned the added attention into three receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown, headlined by a 47-yard catch-and-run that put the Falcons on top with just over two minutes to play in regulation.

Byrd played over 50 percent of Atlanta's offensive snaps for the first time and finished second in targets, receptions and yards among the team's pass catchers. His touchdown was the Falcons' longest play from scrimmage and highlighted the speed and explosiveness that made him an attractive offseason signing.

Despite the early lull, Byrd's found another gear and firmly established himself inside the Falcons' receiver room - just as he's done the last three years.

"He's been in our program, been around the league," Falcons coach Arthur Smith began. "Just kept working. Damiere's a guy that we've got a lot of faith in, and he's proven himself the last two weeks."

The 5-9, 175-pound Byrd has never been the biggest player on the field. He went undrafted out of South Carolina in 2015 and played in just one game as a rookie.

And yet, here he is, seven years later making big plays when the Falcons need them most. Byrd's difficult start didn't faze him, in large part because he's overcome much worse with one simple method: hard work.

"He's taken advantage of his opportunity," Smith said. "He works extremely hard. Wasn't getting a lot of snaps early in the year, but when his numbers been called lately, he's been making plays for us."

From being a healthy scratch to making two of Atlanta's most explosive passing plays of the season, Byrd's sudden ascension has given the Falcons an added element of verticality, which only helps open things up for the team's top-five rushing attack.

When Atlanta's wanted to stretch the field, it's gone to Byrd - and he's quickly regrown his wings as the opportunities have come, taking the Falcons to new heights as they topped 30 points for the first time all season.

Moving forward, Byrd and Atlanta's offense will look to continue flying high on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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