Buffalo Bills CB Taron Johnson Rips NFL Over 'Terrible' Playing Surface in London
When the dust settles on the 2023 NFL season, the Buffalo Bills' trip to London may be the turning point, not because of the result, but because of who they lost.
Buffalo (3-2) lost 25-20 to the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2) on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. But when the final whistle blew, losing to a fellow AFC contender was the least of the Bills' worries.
Linebacker Matt Milano suffered a fractured right leg in the first quarter and may also have a significant knee injury after a player landed on it, per NFL insider Ian Rapaport. Defensive tackle DaQuan Jones suffered a pectoral injury earlier in the game and may also be out for an extended period of time. When giving an update on both players, all Bills head coach Sean McDermott had to say was it isn't "looking good."
Buffalo cornerback Taron Johnson had less-than-glowing reviews for the surface he and his teammates had to play on. Along with Milano and Jones, numerous Bills were forced to briefly leave the game with lower-body injuries, including Johnson and offensive tackle Dion Dawkins.
"Turf is terrible," Johnson said after the game. "My foot got stuck in the ground, but I'm OK, thank God. Take that turf out, especially that one. I'd rather play on grass. I'm sure 90 to 100 percent of the players in the NFL would rather play on grass. I don't know why we're playing on stuff like that. There were injuries on the field today, [and] some [were] really bad. I feel like the turf has something to do with it."
Taron Johnson left the game briefly with a lower-body injury before returning to the game.
© Mark Konezny, USA TODAY
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London has grass, but the Bills and Jaguars played the game on turf. A teammate of Johnson was also displeased over the playing surface against Jacksonville.
"We came all the way over to London to play on f****** cement," an anonymous Bills player said, per Ryan O'Halloran of Buffalo News.
Along with Milano, Tre'Davious White tore his achilles on Oct. 1 against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium, which is also a turf playing surface. Both players are the heart and soul of Buffalo's defense and pivotal to the unit's early success and any hopes the team has of finally breaking through and reaching the Super Bowl.
While the type of turf varies depending on the stadium, it cost Buffalo two of its best players on defense, and Jones may also end up missing the rest of the year. Buffalo isn't the only team that has to play on turf or the only team that's voiced its displeasure over it. But after Sunday, there's no disputing how turf may have changed the trajectory of the Bills season with multiple season-ending injuries happening on that playing surface.
