Mitchell Horucy
Staff Writer
With summer winding down and leaves starting to fall, it means we’re back in store for another season of Buffalo Bills football.
The season kicks off on Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. as the Bills travel downstate to visit Metlife Stadium and take on the division rival New York Jets in a Monday Night Football game.
Buffalo’s 2022 season came to a disappointing end with a 27-10 home playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
In 2023, the team will look to build off of that loss and continue to contend for the first Super Bowl win in franchise history.
The team is returning seven of 11 starters on offense, including a rejuvenated offensive line, which resolves an issue that hurt the team down the stretch and into the playoffs.
The team added veteran Connor McGovern and rookie O’Cyrus Torrence to fill out the left and right guard positions, respectively.
To fill out the other two starters, offseason acquisition Deonte Harty will take over the starting slot receiver role, and second year running back James Cook will take over the starting duties at his respective position.
The story of the offseason has been the addition of rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid out of the University of Utah. He’s a dynamic pass catcher that the Bills hope can bring a spark to an offense that, according to some, didn’t live up to expectations in 2022.
On the defensive side of the ball, the team only lost one starter, however it was a significant loss. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds left the team in free agency and joined the Chicago Bears, which leaves a hole at the position needing to be filled.
Coming off of a first team All-Pro nod, linebacker Matt Milano will have to step up big and run the defense without Edmunds.
Similar to the offense, the defensive line made several key additions such as Poona Ford and Leonard Floyd to help solidify their depth.
Looking to catch some games while at college?
FSA has planned to show every Bills primetime game at Willy C’s along with providing complimentary popcorn.
Willy C’s also has NFL Sunday Ticket on their televisions, which allows fans to watch any live game despite the availability.
Willy C’s doesn’t open until 3 p.m. on Sundays, but will be open for the end of the early slate and all of the late afternoon slate of games.
Special Programs Manager Katie Thies said she is “very excited for this season” and also plans to decorate Willy C’s on game days.
The following games will have popcorn provided: Sept. 11 against the Jets, Oct. 15 against the Giants, Nov. 5 against the Bengals and Nov. 13 against the Broncos.
All games kickoff at 8:15 p.m.
“It’s an electric time of the year,” said sophomore Alex Gombos, a Hamburg, N.Y. native. “It brings everyone together more than any time of the year.”
With expectations near an all time high, we look to be in store for another great season of Buffalo football.