Bear Digest

Kevin Byard snub in favor of Eagles DB called out by Bears teammate

The decision to make Quinyon Mitchell NFC defensive player of the week over Kevin Byard and his two interceptions did not sit well with another Bears DB.
Gene Chamberlain|
Kevin Byard celebrates an interception with Josh Blackwell and Bears teammates in Sunday's 25-24 Chicago win at Las Vegas.
Kevin Byard celebrates an interception with Josh Blackwell and Bears teammates in Sunday's 25-24 Chicago win at Las Vegas. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Are the Bears getting greedy, or just snubbed ... again?

After everything they've been through the past four seasons, no one would begrudge them a few complaints. One of those was by safety Jaquan Brisker after the final results came out  for NFC offensive, defensive and special teams players of the week.

Josh Blackwell made special teams player of the week for his game-deciding blocked field goal, the second time in five games he has won this award. However, the fact safety Kevin Byard failed to win defensive player of the week irked fellow Bears safety Jaquan Brisker. It seems the Bears are forever claiming they've been snubbed for something, like DJ Moore being kept out of the Pro Bowl two years ago, among other things. This time, they might actually be right.

"The fact it should be two Bears players on here... KB got robbed ! G check out his stats," Brisker posted on "X."

The winner was Quinyon Mitchell of the Eagles in their 31-25 win over Tampa Bay.

Byard made two outstanding interceptions and finished with seven tackles.

Not only did Byard make two interceptions, but he had 47 return yards with them. He brought one back 35 yards to the 24-yard line of the Raiders to set up a field goal and another was made at the Raiders 36 and returned 12 yards to the 24 to set up another field goal. That's six big points in a one-point game.

What Mitchell did was rather rare. He had five pass defenses, meaning he broke up  five passes. Yet, he never took the ball back for his team. He also had fewer tackles (5) than Byard. One of the big selling points on Mitchell’s side when the announcement was made was his passer-rating against (39.6 per Pro Football Reference) when targeted, but Byard’s passer-rating against that game was even better at 20.6.

Brisker also said: "Two pick and some tackles ... is not worthy no more?!?! They  ain't wanna put two bear players on it. Cause cmon now. A pick alone is worth GOLD.."

Bears coach Ben Johnson tried telling everyone in the offseason that turnovers no longer were determining factors in games, and that expected points added (EPA) was.

Apparently turnovers aren't even as good as a pass breakups now, let alone EPA. Tremaine Edmunds found that in Week 3 when he had two interceptions and 15 tackles and couldn't make defensive player of the week.

None of this could hide the fact Byard is having an outstanding year so far and could present the Bears with a tough decision after this season. Just like with Brisker, Byard is out of contract.

Whether both he and Brisker return as safeties will be dependent largely on the season as a whole and also most likly on whether Dennis Allen feels they both fit the scheme he has put in place better than some other safeties who might be available in free agency or the draft.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.