Allen Park — Welcome back to our “On Deck” series, where we take an early look at the Detroit Lions’ upcoming opponent through the lens of what’s new since you’ve seen them last.
This week, it’s on to Buffalo, where the Lions will help christen Highmark Stadium, the new home of the Bills, which shares the name with the franchise’s previous, Orchard Park location.
The key features of the new stadium include a natural grass field and fewer seats, but steeper bowls to enhance crowd noise. There are also multiple elements, including a canopy, that should help reduce the impact and accumulation of snow that can hit Buffalo heavily on short notice in the winter.
In terms of the team, the most notable changes are to Buffalo’s coaching staff. After nine seasons, eight playoff appearances and five division titles, the Bills parted ways with Sean McDermott this offseason.
Aiming to get over the hump and back to the Super Bowl for the first time since a run of four straight appearances to start the 1990’s, the Bills promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to replace McDermott.
Make no mistake about it, this isn’t like when the Detroit Pistons dumped Rick Carlisle for Larry Brown to take the franchise to the next level. That was a swap for championship experience.
Sure, Brady has some of that on his resume, having served as the offensive coordinator for LSU’s national championship in 2019. Regardless, this is his first head coaching job, pro or college. And, at 36 years old, he’s currently the NFL’s youngest to hold the title.