ORCHARD PARK - Less than two weeks after the Buffalo Bills replaced the grass field at Highmark Stadium, the team tested it out Tuesday during a walk-through practice.
The new field makes its debut Thursday night when the Bills host the Detroit Lions for all the nation to see on Amazon Prime, and it will certainly be a storyline as we see how it holds up.
Josh Allen reported after practice that, “The footing seemed better. More stable, more solid. Very happy and fortunate that our team, our ownership went out there and made it as good as possible and made the switch for us. We weren’t moving full speed today, but it seemed really good.”
The original field was problematic from the very start. In the very first event held, the blue and red practice
on Aug. 8,divots were coming up when players made hard cuts or in some cases when players went down to the ground. Immediately, there were questions about its safety and playability.
Everyone always argues that grass is safer than turf, but that’s not the case if the grass is not stable and it was clear that night that the field wasn’t ready, and it only got worse when the team hosted two preseason games. By the end of the Steelers game, the field looked like it was already worn out and it was still August. Imagine what it was going to look like come November and December.
Chief operating officer Pete Guelli said the plan all along was to change the field at least twice this year, it’s just that the first changeover came sooner than expected.
Guelli said one key difference with this field as opposed to the original is that the root system is deeper, and that should make for a healthier and sturdier surface.
Of course, as Allen said, Tuesday was just a walk through so it wasn’t really a big test, but head coach Joe Brady said he’s not worried about how it will hold up.
“I really don't have many concerns with it,” he said. “There wasn't a lot of concerns with it the first go around in terms of there was stuff that was moving. And I credit our leadership that I understand that they want to have the best surface out there and be able to make the decision and kind of go with it. But yeah, there'll be no concerns come Thursday. And our guys are excited just to be on grass.”
As for getting used to the new stadium, Brady said he wanted to be in there Tuesday because there are a few players who have not yet played or practice there.
“I thought it was just good for the guys to get in here one more time,” Brady said. “There's some guys that haven't been in this stadium before. A Greg Dortch. We played him last week, he's never been in here. And short weeks, long days, so just switch up the scenery as well.
With the exception of the newcomers, Allen said the break-in period for the team is long over.
“We’ve been in there a few times now, whether it was practice or preseason games, so it’s not a new environment,” he said. “I understand it’s the first official (regular season) game in there, but we’re not focused on that, we’re focused on short week, playing a tough opponent and trying to have the best week possible.”
That said, the atmosphere for the opener is going to be electric. The crowds that showed up for the practices and preseason games were there to take in the new digs. The fans who show up Thursday will be in a different mood, a game day mood, and the fact that’s a primetime game will only heighten the excitement.
Brady, however, doesn’t think he needs to remind his team to not get caught up in the pageantry.
“The environment is going to be outstanding,” he said. “Everything is going to be as it should be, and that's part of why this is built. We can allow the environment to change, but we can't, right? I hope that we approach Thursday as the most important game of the season because it's the next one. And if we make it about more than it is, then I'm not doing a good enough job. And usually that's not gonna end with the right result.
“It's going to be outstanding energy. The city of Buffalo, it's a night that they deserve. And it's going be an outstanding environment. It's where we want to be and we want to play under the lights and we wanna do all that. So let's embrace it. And now it's an opportunity for us to show kind of our conviction to what we believe in and not feel like we have to put on a show.”
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for more than four decades including 37 years as the full-time beat writer/columnist for the D&C. He has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills test new Highmark Stadium grass before Lions opener
