Leonard Floyd hopes a matchup against his former team sparks the 49ers turnaround.
The San Francisco 49ers now have an uphill battle ahead of them to reach the postseason. Winning out feels like the only way to have a decent chance of having a season left at the end of the regular season. However, that starts with a massive challenge this weekend in Buffalo against Josh Allen and the Bills. For Niners edge rusher Leonard Floyd, who played with the Bills last season, the added stakes are further motivation to a game that already meant a lot to him.
“Oh, yeah, most definitely circled this one because Buffalo was a different experience,” Floyd said Tuesday during a radio appearance on KNBR’s Murph and Markus Show. “They got great fans, and they’re going to be a hostile environment for us. And we gonna have to endure that, and play through that, and stay together, and hopefully, come out with a victory.”
Floyd tied a career-high, recording 10.5 sacks in his lone season in Buffalo. Floyd also recorded 32 tackles, 19 quarterback hits, 9 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a pass defended across 17 games (16 starts) as the Bills’ primary right defensive end. Coming off that campaign, Floyd inked a two-year contract with the potential to be worth $12 million a season.
The Niners hoped a proven veteran like Floyd, opposite of Nick Bosa, would help the defensive line flourish, but the unit has been unable to live up to those dominant expectations. Floyd struggled to get to the quarterback early in the season but has been quite disruptive in recent weeks. He has already matched his tackle total from last season (32) alongside 14 quarterback hits, 6.5 sacks, and 6 tackles for loss.
One of the few players to win a Super Bowl ring, Floyd shared the mindset he hopes to instill in his teammates as they approach their final chances to keep their season alive.
“It ain’t over with,” Floyd said. “That’s how I feel. That’s what I’m preaching to the guys in my room. People can think it’s over with, but it’s not, and it’s on us to go show them. And we can do that now, or we can regret not doing it… We in a position to get first in the division and be in the right position to get in the playoffs. And as long as you get in the playoffs, that’s all that matters.”
You can listen to the full conversation with Floyd here: