Following the Bills' 25–20 loss to the Jaguars in London, Buffalo players were angry about the condition of the artificial turf at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“We came all the way over to London to play on (bleeping) cement?” an unnamed Bills veteran asked Ryan O'Halloran of the Buffalo News.
Cornerback Taron Johnson briefly left the game after banging his knee on the turf. He returned to play but spoke out on the playing conditions afterward when asked about what appeared to be a serious injury.
"That (bleeping) turf, to be honest with you," Johnson said to reporters. "The turf was terrible here. They have to get rid of it – report that. If we can do grass, we should do grass.”
Taron Johnson hammered the turf at Hotspur Stadium.
— Thad Brown (@thadbrown7) October 8, 2023
Said his foot stuck in the ground. That's why he got hurt. Also thinks it was a factor in other injuries today.
"That turf is terrible. Take it out."#Bills pic.twitter.com/TUt3XVwbUn
The Tottenham Hotspur soccer club plays on natural grass in its home stadium, but that surface is rolled out and artificial turf is brought in for the seven NFL games played there. (The Titans and Ravens will play at Tottenham in Week 6.)
But plenty of Buffalo players were grumbling about the turf following the loss. In addition to Johnson, offensive linemen Walker Little and Dion Dawkins, defensive tackle Ed Oliver, and edge rushers Leonard Floyd and Kingsley Jonathan were all checked for injuries on the field during the game.
Worst of all, All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano suffered a fractured leg and knee injury and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. That will certainly add to the outcry from NFL players against artificial surfaces that grew louder after Aaron Rodgers's Achilles injury in Week 1.
