ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WHEC) – The Buffalo Bills return home to face the Detroit Lions on a short week, also the first ever game to be played in the brand new Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills gameday basics:
Teams: Buffalo Bills (1-0) and Detroit Lions (1-0) Date: Thur., Sept. 17 Time: 8:15 p.m. Location: Highmark Stadium | Orchard Park, N.Y. Network: Prime VideoGame preview
How can you follow up what the Buffalo Bills did in week one? Facing the vaunted Houston Texans defense that has haunted the Bills in the past, Josh Allen passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more, Dalton Kincaid went for 130 receiving yards, and Greg Rousseau made some critical plays, finishing the game with a pair of sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.
The game still went down to the wire, with Allen leading a 96-yard TD drive (his second of the game) for a go-ahead score with 1:36 left. He found Joshua Palmer streaking for the endzone and the rest is history – Rousseau forced his second fumble of the game, Terrel Bernard recovered, and the Bills got over the hump of beating the Texans on the road.
Now, Buffalo turns its attention to Detroit, on a short week. The two high-powered offenses will battle on Thursday Night Football, in a game that is sure to be viewed all across the country. The Lions and Bills might be the two most exciting teams to watch, and the grand opening of Highmark Stadium is sure to be a spectacle.
Years past
Surprisingly, the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions have only played 13 times in the past, with Buffalo leading the all-time series, 8-4-1.
They first met in 1972, with the game ending in a 21-21 tie. From 1980 to 1990, they’d never face off once, before Detroit picked up the series with wins in 1991 and 1994. But since 2010, they’ve met five times, with Buffalo coming on top in each one.
However, in the most current format of all, Josh Allen versus Jared Goff, there are just two games to go off. In 2022, the Bills knocked off the Lions on Thanksgiving, 28 to 25. In 2024, Buffalo once again won, dropping 48 points on Detroit’s 42, in an insane showcase of offense.
If you’re a fan of trends, you’ll probably side with Buffalo’s chances. But the Bills just ended a drought in losing games at Houston, so maybe this is Detroit’s turn to end a five-game skid against their foe from Upstate New York.
Players to watch: Entire Bills defensive secondary
Look, a win is a win, but giving up 31 points to a CJ Stroud-led Houston Texans team without one of the top 10 running backs in the NFL is virtually unacceptable. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard didn’t hold back when it came to the Bills defense playing skiddish in week one against the Texans.
“I loved the way we started, obviously, creating a turnover, and then finishing it out with a big turnover. There was a lot of ugly in between,” said Leonhard. “When things started to unravel a little bit at times or just feel a little bit off, I thought guys looked around like they weren’t sure what the answer should be.
Leonhard did say those mistakes are “very correctable,” but it might be nearly impossible to get the correction needed to face a Lions offense that features Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and more.
*Shudder*
Yeah, it will take everything for the Bills defense to come up with answers for that. And if we’re being real, most of the problems were in the secondary. While the defense as a whole needs improvement, it were the linebackers and linemen who made the splash plays and turnovers. Stroud passed for nearly 300 yards, definitely an indictment on the secondary.
So can Buffalo turn it around in the slightest? They won’t have any choice if they want to start 2-0 after Thursday night.
Predictions
Cailey Thalman, Sports (1-0): Bills – 35, Lions – 27
Ian Mills, Sports, (0-1):
Mat Mlodzinski, Sports (1-0): Lions – 34, Bills – 31
Week 2 preview: Buffalo Bills host Detroit Lions in Highmark Stadium opener WHEC.com.
Hence then, the article about week 2 preview buffalo bills host detroit lions in highmark stadium opener was published today ( ) and is available on News10NBC ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Week 2 preview: Buffalo Bills host Detroit Lions in Highmark Stadium opener )
Also on site :