After the Buffalo Bills' new-look secondary was again torched Sunday -- New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns -- veteran cornerback Dee Alford thinks he has identified the problem: the crowd noise at new Highmark Stadium has proven to be a lot to overcome.
"Sometimes the games can be super loud to the point where we're not able to get the play as fast as we need it," Alford said after the 29-26 loss. Through four games, the Bills have allowed 1,096 yards and 10 passing touchdowns; eight of those have come in the first three games at new Highmark Stadium. There's also a lot of new in this Bills' secondary, with Alford, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and rookie Davison Igbinosun adjusting to first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard's scheme.
On Sunday, the Patriots entered with Maye having thrown just one touchdown pass in three games, but he completed 22 passes to seven different targets. Seldom-used depth piece Efton Chism beat Igbinosun one-on-one for the game-winning score. Alford said he's dealing with a right ankle injury and will need an MRI.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing