boater Posted July 1 Posted July 1 We just don't know what to expect from a turf situation. We can make educated guesses, but that's about it. The field It's an entirely new installation, operated by an inexperienced crew (unless they hired some ringers). I looked at similar fields/climates for comparison: Pittsburgh: heated field, NFLPA F grade, controversial for being a poor surface in 2025, "borderline unplayable" in response, it was reseeded in 2026 Green Bay: heated field, C grade, "slippery and unpredictable" Cleveland: heated field, B grade, I couldn't find many comments on it--maybe that is a good reflection It seems we want to avoid a Pittsburgh type situation. That would be embarrassing after a $2 billion spending spree. I don't know the specifics in Pitt, but Highmark might have an edge due to what sounds like better technology: "high-tech sub-surface heating and drainage network, UV grow lights, and sub-air ventilation." So, we shall see. Injuries The common expectation is fewer injuries, or injuries of less severity. It's better on the lower extremities. The concussions are less severe. It seems to me that there would be a decrease in "non-contact injuries" which have been the bane of the Bills. A net plus from a competitive stand point. The play Passing: Grass requires quarterbacks to plant deeper, as the ground can be softer. Deep passes may take a fraction of a second longer to release due to less stable footing Rushing, Receiving, Secondary: Breaks won't be as explosive, cuts won't be as crisp, footwork may need adjustment Kicking: Can be unpredictable; wet weather, divots, and worn-out areas near the hash marks can alter a kicker's plant foot and trajectory. Turf kickers have higher accuracy records. The lines: "On natural grass, a lineman's first explosive step slightly tears up the turf, which absorbs some of the raw physical impact. Because of this, drive-blocking on dirt or sod requires a slightly wider, lower base to maintain anchor" It's a technique change. I don't expect professional athletes to have a problem coping with that. It just seems the game may be just a tad slower. But I don't think that will make a competitive difference either way. After all, the same field conditions apply to both teams. Overall... if it doesn't become a mud bowl mess in December/January, life is good. 1 1 5 Quote
Ray Stonada Posted July 2 Posted July 2 Great update. Less knee, ankle, ACL and Achilles injuries sounds awesome. 1 6 1 Quote
DJB Posted July 2 Posted July 2 I hear it’s much more fun to play duck duck goose on grass vs turf Quote
machine gun kelly Posted July 2 Posted July 2 17 hours ago, boater said: We just don't know what to expect from a turf situation. We can make educated guesses, but that's about it. The field It's an entirely new installation, operated by an inexperienced crew (unless they hired some ringers). I looked at similar fields/climates for comparison: Pittsburgh: heated field, NFLPA F grade, controversial for being a poor surface in 2025, "borderline unplayable" in response, it was reseeded in 2026 Green Bay: heated field, C grade, "slippery and unpredictable" Cleveland: heated field, B grade, I couldn't find many comments on it--maybe that is a good reflection It seems we want to avoid a Pittsburgh type situation. That would be embarrassing after a $2 billion spending spree. I don't know the specifics in Pitt, but Highmark might have an edge due to what sounds like better technology: "high-tech sub-surface heating and drainage network, UV grow lights, and sub-air ventilation." So, we shall see. Injuries The common expectation is fewer injuries, or injuries of less severity. It's better on the lower extremities. The concussions are less severe. It seems to me that there would be a decrease in "non-contact injuries" which have been the bane of the Bills. A net plus from a competitive stand point. The play Passing: Grass requires quarterbacks to plant deeper, as the ground can be softer. Deep passes may take a fraction of a second longer to release due to less stable footing Rushing, Receiving, Secondary: Breaks won't be as explosive, cuts won't be as crisp, footwork may need adjustment Kicking: Can be unpredictable; wet weather, divots, and worn-out areas near the hash marks can alter a kicker's plant foot and trajectory. Turf kickers have higher accuracy records. The lines: "On natural grass, a lineman's first explosive step slightly tears up the turf, which absorbs some of the raw physical impact. Because of this, drive-blocking on dirt or sod requires a slightly wider, lower base to maintain anchor" It's a technique change. I don't expect professional athletes to have a problem coping with that. It just seems the game may be just a tad slower. But I don't think that will make a competitive difference either way. After all, the same field conditions apply to both teams. Overall... if it doesn't become a mud bowl mess in December/January, life is good. Just think in how many football fields has Josh played on, and I haven’t noticed any appreciable slower speeds from him on grass fields. It is pretty well known less injuries often occur on natural fields that are tended to properly, but I don’t see them playing slower. For all their faults, Terry and his family have created a state of the art facility, and no detail has been skimmed over. Just keep Terry away from the microphone. He’s no Winston Churchill. 3 Quote
Gregg Posted July 2 Posted July 2 Just don't use what MetLife uses. Teams/players from around the league say it's one of the worst fields to play on. So many foot, ankle, leg injuries like torn Achillies happen. I am surprised the league hasn't forced the Jets/Giants to switch to grass. I know the stadium has grass for the soccer tournament but that is not what they use during football season. 1 Quote
nucci Posted July 2 Posted July 2 18 hours ago, boater said: We just don't know what to expect from a turf situation. We can make educated guesses, but that's about it. The field It's an entirely new installation, operated by an inexperienced crew (unless they hired some ringers). I looked at similar fields/climates for comparison: Pittsburgh: heated field, NFLPA F grade, controversial for being a poor surface in 2025, "borderline unplayable" in response, it was reseeded in 2026 Green Bay: heated field, C grade, "slippery and unpredictable" Cleveland: heated field, B grade, I couldn't find many comments on it--maybe that is a good reflection It seems we want to avoid a Pittsburgh type situation. That would be embarrassing after a $2 billion spending spree. I don't know the specifics in Pitt, but Highmark might have an edge due to what sounds like better technology: "high-tech sub-surface heating and drainage network, UV grow lights, and sub-air ventilation." So, we shall see. Injuries The common expectation is fewer injuries, or injuries of less severity. It's better on the lower extremities. The concussions are less severe. It seems to me that there would be a decrease in "non-contact injuries" which have been the bane of the Bills. A net plus from a competitive stand point. The play Passing: Grass requires quarterbacks to plant deeper, as the ground can be softer. Deep passes may take a fraction of a second longer to release due to less stable footing Rushing, Receiving, Secondary: Breaks won't be as explosive, cuts won't be as crisp, footwork may need adjustment Kicking: Can be unpredictable; wet weather, divots, and worn-out areas near the hash marks can alter a kicker's plant foot and trajectory. Turf kickers have higher accuracy records. The lines: "On natural grass, a lineman's first explosive step slightly tears up the turf, which absorbs some of the raw physical impact. Because of this, drive-blocking on dirt or sod requires a slightly wider, lower base to maintain anchor" It's a technique change. I don't expect professional athletes to have a problem coping with that. It just seems the game may be just a tad slower. But I don't think that will make a competitive difference either way. After all, the same field conditions apply to both teams. Overall... if it doesn't become a mud bowl mess in December/January, life is good. Have you noticed any difference in the Bills play when they play on grass? We don't seem slower when we play in Miami 2 Quote
Mr. WEO Posted July 2 Posted July 2 How many Bills injuries occurred in game on artificial turf fields? 1 Quote
Augie Posted July 2 Posted July 2 I bet it will be better than most, if not all, of the overseas games where the playing surface and safety come in second to generating more revenue. Quote
sunshynman Posted July 2 Posted July 2 (edited) 57 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said: How many Bills injuries occurred in game on artificial turf fields? Too many. Vonn's being the worst one timing wise. Edited July 2 by sunshynman words 1 1 Quote
The Cincinnati Kid Posted July 2 Posted July 2 The heating is interesting. I don’t anymore about it than just being an adult and having life behind me. It seems like a heated grass field, combined with WNY Fall/Winter probably equals mud, but I guess we will see. 🤷♂️ Just now, sunshynman said: Too many. Vonn's being the worst one timing wise. 59 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said: How many Bills injuries occurred in game on artificial turf fields? Tre White, a couple of times. 1 Quote
JP51 Posted July 2 Posted July 2 I am interested to see what the field plays like in November and December.... mostly will be interested in the player reactions ... I think they will ultimately like it... but will need to adjust a bit. Quote
Ga boy Posted July 2 Posted July 2 In addition to heat, does the field have a sub air system to suck the water out? 1 Quote
Sierra Foothills Posted July 2 Posted July 2 21 hours ago, boater said: We just don't know what to expect from a turf situation. We can make educated guesses, but that's about it. The field It's an entirely new installation, operated by an inexperienced crew (unless they hired some ringers). I looked at similar fields/climates for comparison: Pittsburgh: heated field, NFLPA F grade, controversial for being a poor surface in 2025, "borderline unplayable" in response, it was reseeded in 2026 Green Bay: heated field, C grade, "slippery and unpredictable" Cleveland: heated field, B grade, I couldn't find many comments on it--maybe that is a good reflection It seems we want to avoid a Pittsburgh type situation. That would be embarrassing after a $2 billion spending spree. I don't know the specifics in Pitt, but Highmark might have an edge due to what sounds like better technology: "high-tech sub-surface heating and drainage network, UV grow lights, and sub-air ventilation." So, we shall see. Injuries The common expectation is fewer injuries, or injuries of less severity. It's better on the lower extremities. The concussions are less severe. It seems to me that there would be a decrease in "non-contact injuries" which have been the bane of the Bills. A net plus from a competitive stand point. The play Passing: Grass requires quarterbacks to plant deeper, as the ground can be softer. Deep passes may take a fraction of a second longer to release due to less stable footing Rushing, Receiving, Secondary: Breaks won't be as explosive, cuts won't be as crisp, footwork may need adjustment Kicking: Can be unpredictable; wet weather, divots, and worn-out areas near the hash marks can alter a kicker's plant foot and trajectory. Turf kickers have higher accuracy records. The lines: "On natural grass, a lineman's first explosive step slightly tears up the turf, which absorbs some of the raw physical impact. Because of this, drive-blocking on dirt or sod requires a slightly wider, lower base to maintain anchor" It's a technique change. I don't expect professional athletes to have a problem coping with that. It just seems the game may be just a tad slower. But I don't think that will make a competitive difference either way. After all, the same field conditions apply to both teams. Overall... if it doesn't become a mud bowl mess in December/January, life is good. The thing about Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh is that the University of Pittsburgh also plays their games there. Also because of its proximity to the Alleghany River, the playing surface is pretty close to the water table. Highmark won't have these two challenges. 1 hour ago, The Cincinnati Kid said: It seems like a heated grass field, combined with WNY Fall/Winter probably equals mud, but I guess we will see. 🤷♂️ You need water for mud, which raises the question... 39 minutes ago, Ga boy said: In addition to heat, does the field have a sub air system to suck the water out? Yes, the drainage system is considered robust and besides pumping out water, also aerates the field. Plants (grass) need oxygen in the soil in order to survive. 7 Quote
BillsVet Posted July 2 Posted July 2 Middle of the summer, wonderful weather, and.... People worried about the turf? Time to get outside. 4 3 Quote
sunshynman Posted July 2 Posted July 2 Just now, BillsVet said: Middle of the summer, wonderful weather, and.... People worried about the turf? Time to get outside. But then how will anyone know of our superior field maintenance knowledge? Quote
eball Posted July 2 Posted July 2 53 minutes ago, BillsVet said: Middle of the summer, wonderful weather, and.... People worried about the turf? Time to get outside. Yeah, this thread is a whole lot of nonsense. The Bills just installed the most modern, state-of-the-art grass field system around and people are acting like it’s a “question mark.” Good grief. 2 1 Quote
sunshynman Posted July 2 Posted July 2 41 minutes ago, eball said: Yeah, this thread is a whole lot of nonsense. The Bills just installed the most modern, state-of-the-art grass field system around and people are acting like it’s a “question mark.” Good grief. Welcome to the offseason! 1 1 3 Quote
Mr. WEO Posted July 2 Posted July 2 1 hour ago, sunshynman said: Too many. Vonn's being the worst one timing wise. 1 hour ago, The Cincinnati Kid said: The heating is interesting. I don’t anymore about it than just being an adult and having life behind me. It seems like a heated grass field, combined with WNY Fall/Winter probably equals mud, but I guess we will see. 🤷♂️ Tre White, a couple of times. So, 2. 2 Quote
sven233 Posted July 2 Posted July 2 2 hours ago, Ga boy said: In addition to heat, does the field have a sub air system to suck the water out? Yes it does.... It has been confirmed that they can take any amount of moisture out of the ground that they have to. 1 Quote
first_and_ten Posted July 2 Posted July 2 7 hours ago, DJB said: I hear it’s much more fun to play duck duck goose on grass vs turf You haven't lived until you play duck duck goose on a grass field Quote
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