A sharpened mentality — ‘Lay it all on the line’
The path may look different this January, but the Bills have been preparing for this kind of road long before the bracket was finalized.
If you’re looking for reasons to believe the Bills can rattle off three consecutive road wins, look no further than the last three games away from Highmark Stadium. All have been wins, two of which are against playoff teams from the AFC in New England and Pittsburgh.
“It’s tough to go on the road three games in a row, but certainly this Bills team is capable of doing it,” said former Bills center Mitch Morse on One Bills Live this week.
For offensive linemen specifically, there’s an added juice to hearing an opponent’s raucous crowd. While Bills home crowds are silent when the offense has the ball, playing away from Highmark can provide a jolt of pre-snap energy.
“Playing at home, it has its perks,” Brown explained. “But being dead quiet out there when you’re doing your job is — I wouldn’t say it really gets me out of bed in the morning. But like playing against loud crowd in the hostile environment, that’s good football.”
When you’re boarding planes and checking into hotels, the focus narrows to gameplans, walkthroughs, and execution. Veteran teams understand how valuable that rhythm can become, and Buffalo has leaned into it.
“You realize you don’t have to go out there and do anything spectacular or do anything better than you’ve already done it. Just fall back to the level of your preparation. We know how to execute. We know what it’s like to work hard,” said tight end Dawson Knox.
The Bills pride themselves on being a tight-knit group from beginning to end. That bond keeps the team focused and confident when adversity hits. When the postseason starts, all the focus will be turned inward.
“Listening to the outside world and listening to anything that could derail you from your process, it could stress you out. We’re here because of our talents,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “We’re here because of our hard work. And don’t think of anything different, right? It’s a one game season. Now, lay it all on the line and play with no regrets.”
