Bills players rip Tottenham Hotspur for making them play on ‘cement turf’
Sunday’s 25-20 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London went about as bad as possible for the Buffalo Bills.
The final score wasn’t the only loss for the Bills as All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano will miss the season with a fractured leg and knee injury plus several other players left the game bruised and battered from playing on the artificial turf at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“We came all the way over to London to play on f---ing cement?” an unnamed Bills player told the Buffalo News.
Defensive back Taron Johnson’s foot got stuck in the turf during a play in the second quarter, causing his knee to bang against the artificial surface.
The Bills medical staff came out and examine him but he refused to leave on a cart. He went to the locker room and returned for the next defensive drive.
“That f---ing turf, to be honest with you; the turf was terrible here,” Johnson told reporters “They have to get rid of it – report that. If we can do grass, we should do grass. … I don’t know why we’re playing on stuff like that. There was injuries on the field today — some really, really bad.”
Johnson wasn’t the only Bills player to deal with health concerns on Sunday. Offensive linemen Dion Dawkins and Walker Little, defensive ends Leonard Floyd and Kingsley Jonathan and defensive lineman Ed Oliver were all examined during the game for possible injuries.
The stadium uses natural grass for Premier League soccer games when Tottenham Hotspur FC plays its home games there. However, when the stadium hosts NFL games, the grass is replaced by the artificial turf.
Johnson’s criticism isn’t the first time players have been outspoken this season about playing on artificial turf. Many petitioned the NFL to switch to natural grass for every stadium after New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles in Week 1 at MetLife Stadium.
The Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next weekend.
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