Quarter-by-Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DET | 0 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
| BUF | 14 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 41 |
Josh Allen made sure Buffalo’s first regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium came with fireworks, accounting for five touchdowns as the Bills jumped Detroit early and held on for a 41-31 win. Allen threw for 248 yards and three scores while rushing for 69 yards and two more, helping Buffalo race out to a 21-0 lead before the Lions could catch their breath. James Cook III kept the pressure on with 135 yards on 21 carries and a late touchdown, while Dalton Kincaid caught seven passes for 95 yards and a score. Buffalo’s offense barely slowed even after DJ Moore went down late in the second quarter while diving for a pass in the end zone. Moore landed hard on his shoulder, was evaluated for a shoulder injury and stinger, underwent X-rays and was ruled out for the second half.
Detroit didn’t fold, especially with Jared Goff dealing. Goff threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, and Amon-Ra St. Brown went off for nine catches, 142 yards and two scores. Jahmyr Gibbs added 113 scrimmage yards and a receiving touchdown, while Sam LaPorta also scored, but the Lions spent the entire night trying to erase Buffalo’s head start. Detroit entered without two starting offensive linemen and Goff was sacked four times, including twice by Greg Rousseau. The real killer was third down: Buffalo converted 9 of 12 while piling up 446 yards, 203 on the ground, and 34 first downs. Every time Detroit made the game interesting, Allen and Cook answered — turning Buffalo’s stadium opener into one loud housewarming party.
Postgame Statistical Breakdown
Team Stats
| Stat | Detroit Lions | Buffalo Bills |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 31 | 41 |
| Total Offensive Yards | 355 | 446 |
| Passing Yards | 289 | 243 |
| Rushing Yards | 66 | 203 |
| Total Plays | 62 | 69 |
| Yards Per Play | 5.7 | 6.5 |
| First Downs | 24 | 34 |
| Third Downs | 4-11 | 9-12 |
| Third-Down % | 36.4% | 75.0% |
| Fourth Downs | 2-2 | 0-0 |
| Passing TDs | 4 | 3 |
| Rushing TDs | 0 | 3 |
| Total Offensive TDs | 4 | 6 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 0 | 0 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 0 |
| Sacks Allowed | 4 | 2 |
| Penalties | 10 | 5 |
| Penalty Yards | 58 | 46 |
| Time of Possession | 26:15 | 33:45 |
Passing
Detroit Lions
- Jared Goff — 26/38, 68.4%, 327 YDS, 4 TD, 0 INT, 8.6 YPA, 4 SACK, 130.0 RTG
Buffalo Bills
- Josh Allen — 20/31, 64.5%, 248 YDS, 3 TD, 0 INT, 8.0 YPA, 2 SACK, 121.4 RTG
Rushing
Detroit Lions
- Jahmyr Gibbs — 16 CAR, 52 YDS, 3.3 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 16
- Jared Goff — 3 CAR, 7 YDS, 2.3 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 4, 2 FUM
Buffalo Bills
- James Cook III — 21 CAR, 135 YDS, 6.4 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 35
- Josh Allen — 14 CAR, 69 YDS, 4.9 AVG, 2 TD, LONG 14, 1 FUM
Receiving
Detroit Lions
- Amon-Ra St. Brown — 9 REC, 13 TGT, 142 YDS, 15.8 AVG, 2 TD, LONG 34
- Jahmyr Gibbs — 6 REC, 8 TGT, 61 YDS, 10.2 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 12
- Sam LaPorta — 6 REC, 7 TGT, 52 YDS, 8.7 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 18
- Jameson Williams — 2 REC, 4 TGT, 33 YDS, 16.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 17
- Isaac TeSlaa — 2 REC, 5 TGT, 26 YDS, 13.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 20
Buffalo Bills
- Dalton Kincaid — 7 REC, 8 TGT, 95 YDS, 13.6 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 25
- Keon Coleman — 6 REC, 6 TGT, 63 YDS, 10.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 22
- Joshua Palmer — 1 REC, 3 TGT, 43 YDS, 43.0 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 43
- Khalil Shakir — 3 REC, 6 TGT, 38 YDS, 12.7 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 16
- Dawson Knox — 2 REC, 2 TGT, 5 YDS, 2.5 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 4
Scoring Plays
| Qtr | Clock | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 9:09 | Buffalo Bills | Josh Allen 1-yard run (Tyler Bass kick) | DET 0, BUF 7 |
| Q1 | 3:42 | Buffalo Bills | Joshua Palmer 43-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick) | DET 0, BUF 14 |
| Q2 | 11:48 | Buffalo Bills | Dawson Knox 1-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick) | DET 0, BUF 21 |
| Q2 | 5:03 | Detroit Lions | Jahmyr Gibbs 11-yard pass from Jared Goff (Jake Bates kick) | DET 7, BUF 21 |
| Q2 | 2:52 | Buffalo Bills | Dalton Kincaid 16-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass PAT Failed) | DET 7, BUF 27 |
| Q2 | 0:00 | Detroit Lions | Jake Bates 31-yard field goal | DET 10, BUF 27 |
| Q3 | 9:29 | Detroit Lions | Amon-Ra St. Brown 2-yard pass from Jared Goff (Jake Bates kick) | DET 17, BUF 27 |
| Q3 | 1:07 | Buffalo Bills | Josh Allen 2-yard run (Tyler Bass kick) | DET 17, BUF 34 |
| Q4 | 10:53 | Detroit Lions | Sam LaPorta 1-yard pass from Jared Goff (Jake Bates kick) | DET 24, BUF 34 |
| Q4 | 2:50 | Buffalo Bills | James Cook III 1-yard run (Tyler Bass kick) | DET 24, BUF 41 |
| Q4 | 1:42 | Detroit Lions | Amon-Ra St. Brown 27-yard pass from Jared Goff (Jake Bates kick) | DET 31, BUF 41 |
Defense
Detroit Lions
- Derrick Barnes — 7 TOT, 5 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Aidan Hutchinson — 3 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 2 QBH
- Chuck Clark — 11 TOT, 4 SOLO
- Jack Campbell — 6 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 QBH
- Tyleik Williams — 5 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 QBH
- Rock Ya-Sin — 6 TOT, 5 SOLO
- Devin White — 6 TOT, 3 SOLO
- D.J. Reed — 6 TOT, 2 SOLO
- Brock Wright — 1 FR
- Thomas Harper — 2 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 PD
Buffalo Bills
- Greg Rousseau — 3 TOT, 3 SOLO, 2 TFL, 2 SACK, 4 QBH
- Bradley Chubb — 4 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1.5 SACK, 2 QBH
- Christian Benford — 8 TOT, 5 SOLO, 2 PD
- Deone Walker — 1 TOT, 3 QBH, 3 PD
- Dorian Williams — 6 TOT, 5 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 PD
- Terrel Bernard — 5 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 PD
- Cole Bishop — 6 TOT, 5 SOLO
- Davison Igbinosun — 5 TOT, 4 SOLO
- Jordan Hancock — 5 TOT, 3 SOLO
- Michael Hoecht — 1 TOT, 0.5 SACK, 1 QBH
Kick Returns
Detroit Lions
- Tom Kennedy — 4 KR, 99 YDS, 24.8 AVG, LONG 27, 0 TD
Buffalo Bills
- Greg Dortch — 2 KR, 51 YDS, 25.5 AVG, LONG 26, 0 TD
Punt Returns
Detroit Lions
Not available.
Buffalo Bills
- Greg Dortch — 3 PR, 36 YDS, 12.0 AVG, LONG 25, 0 TD
