In a game that was billed as a possible Super Bowl preview, the Buffalo Bills led from start to finish while receiving another MVP-caliber effort from quarterback Josh Allen. Allen tallied 430 yards and four total touchdowns in leading Buffalo to a 48-42 win in Motown.
Allen ran for two touchdowns in the first half as the Lions scored touchdowns on each of their first three possessions. Ahead 21-14 at halftime, the Bills offense continued to roll in the second half as the visiting team took a 38-21 lead early in the fourth quarter. But the Lions never quit, as Jared Goff led a late touchdown drive that briefly gave Detroit a glimmer of hope. That hope, however, was quickly extinguished after Buffalo recovered the ensuing onside kick.
Allen was the star, but he was aided all day by running backs James Cook, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson, who combined to amass a whopping 285 yards and three touchdowns. For the Lions, Goff led offense on six scoring drives during the game’s final three quarters. Goff threw for 494 yards and five touchdowns, but he received little help from a running game that gained just 48 yards that included just seven yards in the second half.
Here’s a closer look at how the Bills beat the Lions
Why the Bills won
Buffalo, who had the 26th-ranked third-down offense entering the game, went 5 of 10 on third down on Sunday against a Lions defense that entered the game as the NFL’s top-ranked unit on third-down. Buffalo also came up clutch on a fourth down when Allen hit Johnson for a 31-yard gain that helped stretch the Bills’ lead to 21-7 midway through the second quarter.
Speaking of Johnson, the former Lion caught four passes for 95 yards in the first half and finished the game with 114 yards on five grabs. Johnson became the first running back in six years to have three catches of over 20 yards in a single game.
Johnson’s backfield mate, Cooks, rumbled for 105 yards and two touchdowns that included his 41-yard jaunt early in the second half that extended Buffalo’s lead to 28-14. Davis, who was leaned on earlier in the year with injuries that hit Buffalo’s backfield, scored the Bills’ final touchdown on a 5-yard grab early in the fourth quarter.
Defensively, the Bills’ defense struggled to stop Goff, which was expected as Buffalo was playing without both starting safeties. But Buffalo’s defense did a good job early forcing punts and helping build early leads of 14-0 and 21-7. The unit also came up with one of the game’s biggest plays (more on that later).
Why the Lions lost
Like the Bills, the Lions also played with a short-handed defense that lost cornerback Khalil Dorsey (who was hospitalized after sustaining what appears to be a severe leg injury during the first half) and defensive lineman Alim McNeill during the game. That being said, the Lions defense needed to do a better job containing Allen, who at times looked like a combination of Dan Marino and the Tecmo Bowl version of Bo Jackson. Detroit’s biggest issue, though, was its inability to prevent big plays, which was an issue throughout the game.
Offensively, the Lions were one-dimensional for most of the game after they were unable to get their running game off to a fast start. Part of the reason for that issue was David Montgomery dealing with a knee injury that limited his effectiveness.
Detroit also had some self-inflicted wounds. As great as he was with 193 yards and a touchdown on 14 catches, Amon-Ra St. Brown failed to come down with a catch on third down late in the first half after Bills kicker Tyler Bass had missed a 24-yard field goal attempt. That drive ended with Jake Bates missing a 52-yard field goal attempt as the Lions were unable to further trim their deficit before halftime.
Head coach Dan Campbell’s decision to attempt an onside kick with 12 minutes left and his team trailing by 10 points was a head-scratcher. The decision instantly backfired when the onside kick was scooped up and returned 38 yards by Mack Hollins. Davis scored one play later as Buffalo went back up by 17 points.
Turning point
Campbell’s onside kick decision was a turning point, but a bigger one occurred earlier in the second half when St. Brown fumbled after he initially caught an 18-yard pass (the ball was jarred out by cornerback Christian Benford and recovered by linebacker Matt Milano).
Instead of having a first down near midfield, the Lions gave the ball back to the Bills, who quickly made them pay after Allen hit Khalil Shakir for a short touchdown pass that increased Buffalo’s lead to 35-14 late in the third quarter.
Detroit responded with touchdowns on its next four drives (including a nifty 66-yard touchdown by St. Brown on a third-and-long play), but it wasn’t able make up the deficit.
Play of the game
As good as Allen was, the game’s signature play was courtesy of Cook, whose long touchdown run included two nifty cutbacks and a broken tackle attempt after a defender yanked his hair.
Quotable
What’s next
The Bills will return home to face the Patriots, who fell to 3-11 on Sunday after falling to the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions will begin a two-game road trip that will starts with next Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.
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