Tag: New Era Field

Bills increase ticket pricing in 2020

Buffalo Bills tickets, parking prices increase.

The Buffalo Bills are known for having ticket pricing on the cheaper side, but it’s set to go up.

According to the Buffalo News, the Bills will increase ticket prices by about $4 dollars per game for season ticket holders next year. The weighted ticket price average goes from $89.56 to $93.67, per the report.

Prices vary throughout seating locations.

But even with the increase, the Bills’ ticketing prices are still among the lowest in the NFL. According to the report, only the Bengals had cheaper season ticket prices last season. From 2018 to 2019, the Bills increased their ticket pricing $1.85 per seat a game.

In addition, parking pass pricing is also increasing. Cash lots spike from $200 to $220, while premium lots jump from $250 to $300 for a season pass. The camper lot’s season pass increases from $700 to $750.

The Bills are coming off a 10-6 season and second playoff berth in three seasons. Buffalo also has the looming stadium issue coming into focus and unfortunately, ever-increasing costs of operation and building a new fortress isn’t free.

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Bills won’t opt out of stadium lease

Buffalo Bills won’t opt out of stadium lease at New Era Field.

The Buffalo Bills had a one-time opt out of their lease with Erie County for their stadium, New Era Field.

That had to be exercised by the end of February,  but ahead of that, the Bills confirmed that they will not be doing so. The team did so in a letter to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz.

Poloncarz then took to social media to post the letter. In doing so, Poloncarz wrote “I requested the letter from (the Bills) to show their commitment and good faith to the county and community.” Here’s the letter:

Essentially the spotlight is now on 2023 for the Bills. That same lease concludes that year. It was a 10-year lease. The decision by the Bills to not terminate the lease does not come as a surprise, as Pegula Sports and Entertainment, run by team owners Terry and Kim Pegula, have recently conducted stadium feasibility studies.

Findings from those have not been publicly released. However, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke ahead of the Super Bowl on Wednesday and for the first time appeared more open to the Bills renovating their current home, but he didn’t take a new stadium off the table. Intriguing that Goodell would do so, but perhaps he’s found out the answers from that same study. Regardless, the NFL would likely want a massive overhaul of New Era Field’s facilities via those renovations.

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Buffalo mayor ‘certainly would like’ to see new Bills stadium downtown

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown would like to see a new Bills stadium constructed in downtown Buffalo.

In a modern NFL that’s done little to hide its love of glamorous markets and multi-billion dollar football palaces, the Buffalo Bills’ long-term stability in Western New York has been oft-questioned.

The Bills, who play in the league’s second-smallest television market and fourth-oldest stadium, appear to be in danger of ultimately relocating to a more attractive destination, if you talk to certain people around the NFL.

And as the team’s lease at the near-50-year-old New Era Field nears its 2023 expiration date, an eventual departure from Orchard Park is starting to look like a realistic possibility.

Where could the Bills hypothetically relocate, you ask?

That’s easy. Buffalo.

A move from the suburbs to Buffalo-proper has been long-rumored, an inevitability that some feel will finally propel the Bills into the modern NFL. The theoretical move has a strong supporter in Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, who expressed his desire for a new downtown stadium during a Thursday-evening appearance on WIVB-TV.

“I’ve said it many times. I’ve said it every single time that I am asked,” Brown said. “I certainly would like to see a new stadium in the city of Buffalo, where so much progress is being made, where so much investment is taking place. I think the stadium being where it’s located, when it was located there decades and decades ago, it was one of the major planning mistakes in this region. We talk a lot about the planning errors that took place in the region, I certainly think that is one of them.

“I know the Pegula’s are looking at this very extensively, they have a study going on. They are major decision-makers in this process, of course, with other stakeholders. But certainly, as Mayor of the City of Buffalo, the largest municipality in this region, would love to see the stadium in the city of Buffalo.”

As Mayor Brown alluded to, team owners Terry and Kim Pegula are currently exploring their options in regards to the Bills’ stadium. The ownership group hired CAA Icon to conduct a “comprehensive study of New Era Field” in November 2018, a study that will help determine the feasibility of renovations to the current stadium or the construction of a new venue entirely.

In September 2019, Pegula Sports and Entertainment revealed that the results of the study will not be released publicly.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recently spoke about Buffalo’s stadium situation, citing both renovations and the building of a new stadium as possible outcomes.

“A stadium that is going to be competitive with other stadiums around the league is going to be important in that context,” Goodell said while speaking to the media last Wednesday. “I think everyone is committed to that, whether it’s a new significant renovation or a completely different facility in a new place.”

What PSE ultimately decides to do in regards to its football team’s stadium remains to be seen, but one thing is clear – Buffalo’s mayor is willing to play ball.

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Roger Goodell mentions possible renovations for Bills stadium

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell discusses possible renovations to New Era Field, home of the Buffalo Bills, from Super Bowl LIV.

The Buffalo Bills are staying in western New York. Where? We haven’t been, and truthfully still aren’t sure, about that.

But NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell changed his tune a bit on that subject on Wednesday in Miami while speaking to reporters ahead of Super Bowl LIV on Sunday.

Goodell, a Jamestown native, acknowledged he wants the Bills to “be in Buffalo and be successful.” With the palace-type stadiums around the NFL being built in recent years, Goodell has long been in support of a new stadium for the team in the region.

“The reason why I’m supportive [of a new stadium] is I want to make sure the franchise remains stable here and continues to stay competitive,” Goodell said in June. “I think it’s great for this community, and we’ve been able to do these stadiums in such a way that it creates a tremendous economic benefit, too.”

But on Wednesday, a different approach. He used the “R” word… renovations.

“A stadium that is going to be competitive with other stadiums around the league is going to be important in that context,” Goodell said in regard to keeping the Bills a viable team in Buffalo. “I think everyone is committed to that, whether it’s a new significant renovation or a completely different facility in a new place.”

The Bills are currently locked into a lease with Erie County to play at New Era Field until 2023. Of course with the calendar recently changing to 2020, 2023 is just around the corner.

The Bills ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula have done their due diligence on the stadium issue at hand, having started conducting studies on what to do. Much of that is being kept hidden, however, the balance of renovations vs. a new stadium is mostly come down to money and where it’s coming from.

Time will only tell what happens with the Bills stadium issue, but Wednesday’s comments sound like a minor win of sorts for those in favor of keeping the Bills in Orchard Park instead of building a new stadium completely… perhaps one in downtown Buffalo, for example.

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PODCAST: 2019 Bills season wrap, how did they do?

Buffalo Bills season recap podcast from The Bills Wire.

Josh Allen
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen calls signals at the line of scrimmage in the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

 

With the 2019 season being over for nearly a week, podcast hosts Matt and Jeremy have had some time to properly reflect on this 2019 season. While the way that it ended was not ideal, and pretty upsetting, it was a good year from an overall perspective.

Despite all of the criticism about strength of schedule, a young roster with growing pains, and a lot of “coulda, woulda, shoulda” moments, Bills fans should look back fondly on the 2019. With a solid coaching staff, whose instilled motto of “Trust the Process” has made considerable gains, and a General Manager who has flipped this roster, nearly 100% from before his reign, all signs point to up.

Josh Allen progressed relatively well in 2019, giving more fuel to the Allen apologists. He showed incredible growth, while still making some rookie mistakes, but importantly, has played well enough to leave no questions if he should continue to be a starter going into the 2020-21 season.

The fortunate aspect for this off season is that Beane and McDermott know have a smaller amount of spokes to replace on the wheel that is the Buffalo Bills, and are able to hone in on the most important needs before free agency and trades open up in a few months.

 

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Sam Darnold has high praise for Bills fans ahead of Week 17 trip to Buffalo

Jets QB Sam Darnold is excited to play his final regular-season game of the 2019 season in front of Buffalo Bills fans at New Era Field.

Neither the Jets nor Bills have much to play for on Sunday. While New York is playing for pride, Sunday is a final dress rehearsal for Buffalo before the playoffs begin.

Still, the atmosphere at New Era Field is expected to be playoff-like as the Buffalo-faithful prepare to send their team off on a high note before the Bills face the Houston Texans in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Jets, who play one game in Buffalo each season, are prepared for everything that comes with playing in Orchard Park.

“It’s tough,” Sam Darnold said when asked about what it’s like to play away games at New Era Field on Thursday. “Buffalo fans are crazy in the best way. They get it rocking in there.”

For Sunday’s game, the Bills don’t anticipate resting their starters. However, backup quarterback Matt Barkley is expected to see some time behind Josh Allen.

Barkley infamously led a bumbling Bills offense to a huge win over the Jets in November of 2018. The 41-10 loss was seemingly the final nail in the coffin for Todd Bowles’ tenure as the Jets’ head coach. Barkley went 15 of 25, passing for 232 yards and two touchdowns.

Darnold was sidelined with a foot injury but made his first matchup against fellow 2018 draftee Allen, memorable. Nearly a month later, Darnold led the Jets to 27-23 win in Orchard Park.

In Week 1 of the 2019 season, Darnold went 28 of 41 for just 175 yards and just one touchdown in a 17-16 loss at home. Buffalo’s defense suffocated the Jets offense, holding it to just 223 total yards

With 15 games in between, the Jets are looking for revenge even if the team cannot play spoiler to Buffalo’s playoff hopes. After starting 1-7, ending the season 7-9 and going 6-2 in the final eight games would be an impressive accomplishment for Adam Gase’s team.

PODCAST: Bills turn attention to Wild Card weekend post-Patriots loss

Buffalo Bills podcast following 24-17 loss to New England Patriots.

The Bills couldn’t get the job done against the New England Patriots. Poor execution on the offensive side, with an inability to extend drives, led to exhaustion and sloppy play on the defensive side of the ball. The Patriots experienced one of their better games of this back half of the season against Buffalo on both sides of the ball.

For the Bills, it’s not the end of the world, fortunately. While the idea that they were in the race for a home playoff game in Week 16 was enticing, they’re still in the postseason, and they still have a shot. The only ways that Buffalo would see the Patriots again is one of two situations.

First, both the Bills and whoever is the sixth seed win. Lowest remaining seed goes on to face Baltimore, and Buffalo would end up facing New England in the divisional round. Secondly, if both Buffalo or New England win out, and they meet in the AFC Championship.

That all sounds good and well, but one game at a time has to be the mentality, and right now, despite a meaningless Week 17 game against the Jets, Buffalo is slated to face either Houston or Kansas City come Wild Card Weekend.

Billswire podcast host ost Matt Johnson recaps the Bills-Patriots game and looks ahead to Wild Card weekend:

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Report card: Bills lose 24-17 to Ravens

In a classic AFC slugfest, the Ravens came away victorious over the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field to clinch a playoff birth.

The Bills received plenty of national attention after their Thanksgiving victory over the Dallas Cowboys, and with the national media watching two weeks in a row the team fell flat. The Bills offense was smothered by a dominate Ravens defense in Week 14 at New Era Field as the visitors took a 24-17 win.

While Buffalo’s defense had a stout performance they couldn’t stop MVP front runner, Lamar Jackson for four quarters.

A fourth quarter touchdown did make the final few minutes interesting, but it was too little too late.

Here’s how the Bills graded out in this week’s report card following their loss to the Ravens:

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Quarterback: D

Josh Allen had an atrocious first half, let’s not kid ourselves.

He was 8-for-17 passing, threw for just 39 yards, and was constantly hounded by a ferocious Baltimore defense. His production increased in the second half, which gave Buffalo an opportunity to tie the game in the fourth quarter but he couldn’t produce on the final throw of the game.

While the Bills kept it close throughout the game, Josh Allen simply wasn’t good enough during the first three quarters. Allen missed on a majority of his deep shots, which resulted in drives stalling out, or stopping before they could even start. He also missed on some of his shorter throws, with most of his misses sailing over the head of his intended receiver.

Allen’s final stat line was 17-for-39, 146 yards, and one touchdown, and one successful two-point conversion throw. Frankly, this may have been Allen’s worst game of the season and it couldn’t have come at a worst time.

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PODCAST: What went wrong with Bills offense in loss to Ravens?

Buffalo Bills NFL podcast following Week 14 24-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Buffalo Bills fell to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at New Era Field, 24-17. It certainly wasn’t the Bills’ finest game offensively, but there is a lot of optimism and growth than can come from a loss like this.

No, this isn’t the Bills first loss in 2019. The reason that this loss feels differently though, is that the Bills hung tough with the NFL’s finest team.

The Baltimore Ravens offense has been one of the most explosive forces in 2019, and have been a delight to watch as a fan. The Bills defense contained the young and very spry Lamar Jackson on the ground, perhaps laying a blueprint for a future team, or even themselves, to continue to restrict Jackson”s scrambling ability.

The problem though, Lamar Jackson can throw pretty well, and in tight spaces. Jackson torched the Bills secondary on a blown coverage touchdown to tight end Hayden Hurst, and several mid-range passes, but overall, the defense did it’s job. Held the hottest and one of the highest scoring offenses to a reasonable score. Unfortunately, the offense couldn’t take advantage.

The team is already looking ahead, as they have a big Sunday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that is also currently in the playoff picture, and looking to improve their spot. The Bills have a competitive, but not overwhelming final three game stretch, including a Patriots team, that of course shouldn’t be overlooked, but is not having their best season in quite some time, despite their record.

Here’s the latest episode of The Bills Wire Podcast following the Bills’ loss to the Ravens:

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Bills vs. Ravens: 5 matchups to watch

The red hot Bills face the Baltimore Ravens who are a powerhouse in the AFC at New Era Field on Sunday, these are the key matchups to watch.

The Buffalo Bills, who sit at 9-3, have one of the toughest challenges of their season on Sunday when the 10-2 Baltimore Ravens come to New Era Field.

Both teams are led by strong defenses and young, dynamic quarterbacks. Buffalo has a chance to clinch just their second playoff birth this decade with a win against Super Bowl hopefuls, Baltimore Ravens.

With plenty at stake, here are the key matchups to watch when the Bills square off against the Ravens:

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters. Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
John Brown vs. Marcus Peters 

Wide receiver John Brown is having one of his best seasons of his career with the Bills. So far this season he has 882 yards, averaging 14.5 yards per catch, and he has caught five touchdowns. All impressive stats for who was considered a ‘burner’ by many NFL pundits. Brown has been used as a deep threat by Buffalo’s this season, but his use in the intermediate and short routes has added an extra element in Buffalo’s offense. 

Defensive back Marcus Peters joined the Baltimore Ravens via trade from the Los Angeles Rams in October. Since his arrival in Baltimore he has helped transform the Ravens secondary into one of the best in the NFL. Peters this season has five interceptions, three of them coming in a Ravens uniform. Peters is also a threat when he has the ball in the hands after the interception. Peters has three touchdowns coming off interceptions this season. 

These two will be battling throughout the game, but if Brown can get the better of a re-energized Peters it can create havoc for the Ravens defense, and open up the game for Buffalo.  

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