Dee Alford Gives Lame Excuse for Bills' Poor Home-Field Defensive Performance

The Buffalo Bills replaced former All-Pro Taron Johnson by signing Dee Alford this past offseason, but the new addition has yet to endear himself to the fans.

Sep 17, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Dee Alford (23) warms up before a game against the Detroit Lions at New Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Buffalo Bills really ran former All-Pro nickel cornerback Taron Johnson out of town in favor of this guy?

Signing mid-tier free agent Dee Alford always seemed a little strange, and it made less sense that the Bills gave him more than $5 million per year (per Spotrac) while trading the handsomely-paid Johnson away to the Las Vegas Raiders for a late-round draft pick.

Although Johnson's production had dropped off in recent years, he was a proven starter with the ability to effectively cover receivers and lay the lumber against the run. Meanwhile, Alford, albeit younger, showed himself to be a less physical part-time starter for the Atlanta Falcons.

While Johnson appears to fit nicely with the Raiders, Alford, outside of a lucky interception against the New England Patriots, has been less than impressive. The slot cornerback is allowing a career-worst 9.2 yards per target through four games against opposing receivers.

The effort from @Raiders CB Taron Johnson to chase down Kenneth Walker III and save a touchdown. pic.twitter.com/5pAFzMptn7

— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2026

Now, he's indirectly complaining that the Bills' fans are too loud.

Following the October 4 home loss to New England, Alford claimed the Bills' defense experienced difficulty in its pre-snap communication due to the intense Highmark Stadium crowd noise.

Buffalo allowed the Patriots to score a season-high 29 points while quarterback Drake Maye passed for 269 yards and three touchdowns.

Oct 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) rushes as Buffalo Bills cornerback Dee Alford (23) defends | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dee Alford's lame excuse

While the fans are attempting to affect the opposing offense, and potentially force a false start or delay of game penalty, Alford suggested that the home-field advantage may not been an advantage after all.

"Sometimes, the game can be loud and super loud to the point where we not able to get the play that fast [when] we need it," said Alford.

The process should become easier as the Bills' new defense gains experience working together, but it obviously provided enough of a challenge on Sunday for Alford to mention it.

Oct 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Dee Alford (23) celebrates after an interception during the second quarter against the New England Patriots | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"We got to hurry and line up and sometime we don't be able to get the play. But that's not an excuse. That's just something we got to continue to grow and get better with as a secondary as far as communication," said Alford.

As for adjusting and communicating through the crowd noise, Alford expects to address it through practice.

"There's a lot of things we do at practice as well. We train loud music, loud speakers," said Alford. "Just to try to show a scenario like what happened in the game, and we've been getting better with it, every week."

Alford wasn't the only Bills' player to make questionable comments in the wake of the Week 4 home loss. Starting safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson made waves by insulting Patriots' wide receiver Efton Chism.

— Sign up for OnSI’s Free Buffalo Bills Newsletter —