3 Buffalo Bills and 1 commissioner to blame to tough Week 5 loss in London
By Mark Powell
The Buffalo Bills can hardly afford any setbacks in a crowded AFC East division. After defeating the Miami Dolphins last week in their most impressive victory of the season, Buffalo took another step back Sunday morning in London, losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags made the postseason last season and are fighting for the AFC South, as well, so this was an important game for both sides.
The Jags featured a balanced offensive approach, which in the end was far too much for the Bills to handle. Jacksonville threw the ball for 315 yards thanks to Trevor Lawrence, and had nearly 200 yards on the ground, including 136 by Travis Etienne.
Roger Goodell deserves blame for Buffalo Bills loss in London
While most teams have to deal with a short week or two during the regular season, the NFL and Roger Goodell did the Bills dirty by forcing them to travel to London in back-to-back seasons. In doing so, the Bills had to play on some sketchy turf at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Some of Buffalo's key players, including Von Miller, left this game early, which could hurt them for weeks to come.
Still don’t understand:
— Bradley Gelber (@BradleyGelber) October 8, 2023
1) Why the Jags are allowed to play two weeks in a row in London
2) Why the #Bills didn’t arrive in London earlier in the week
The turf monster won its battle against Buffalo on Sunday, and the Bills will feel the effects for weeks to come. Even Jags QB Trevor Lawrence stated that he preferred playing on grass in the U.S. rather than turf overseas earlier in the week.
“I usually prefer playing on grass, but the grass over here is a little bit different,” Lawrence told reporters Wednesday. “Especially for the soccer field, it’s a little bit slicker. I don’t know if that’s intentionally just for the ball, I’m sure, rolls better on it. Our grass is different in the states. I prefer grass in the states. I think here, turf is a little better for footing and cutting and all that stuff. Probably turf I prefer, so the guys don’t slip as much. Either way, I don’t think it poses a big issue.”
The Bills and Jaguars had enough to deal with this season as contenders in the AFC. This will not help matters.