Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard isn’t interested in hearing the home crowd used as an excuse.
After cornerback Dee Alford said last Sunday’s loss to the Patriots showed how loud Highmark Stadium can get - loud enough, in his words, to be “ super loud to the point where we’re not able to get the play as fast as we need it” - Leonhard made it clear this week that Buffalo has to treat that noise as part of the job, not a problem to complain about.
During his press conference, Leonhard said the challenge of communication in a packed stadium is real, but it cuts both ways. The defense has to deal with it, sure, but the offense on the other sideline is taking on even more of that burden. For Leonhard, the answer is simple: turn the environment into an edge.
“It’s always harder to communicate at home than it is on the road. If we complain about that, we are a---s,” Leonhard said.
“We have to turn that into the biggest advantage we have. As hard as it is for us, it’s significantly harder for an offense.
We have to find a way to make that an advantage for us. If we ever use that as a cop out - I have to be smart in how we game plan.
There’s certain things you can do on the road that are a little bit easier than they are at home from a communication standpoint.”
The Bills have already gone 2-1 in their new stadium, but they won’t return there until November 1, giving the team some time before they can put any adjustments to the test in front of that crowd again.
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