After sneaking out of Ford Field with an overtime win against the New Orleans Saints (31-30) on Sunday, the Lions have to prepare for what could be the toughest game of their season. Detroit travels to Buffalo on Thursday night, and it will look to crash the welcoming party for the Bills' new stadium.
Week 1 for the Bills was similar to the Lions, as they took care of the Houston Texans 36-31 in a game that went down to the wire. With both teams coming off 30-point games, and considering their 48-42 thriller in 2024, we could be primed for plenty of points on Thursday.
Lions look to avenge 2024 loss to Bills with another shootout on the horizon
When the Bills beat the Lions in 2024, it took everything they had. Buffalo put up 559 yards of total offense, including 430 from quarterback Josh Allen. He accounted for four total touchdowns. Bills running back James Cook tallied 133 total yards and two touchdowns on 15 touches. The Lions countered almost every time, as Jared Goff threw for 494 yards and five touchdowns.
With each team's week one matchup in the books for 2026, it seems like we could be headed for a game with similar numbers. The Lions should be able to improve on their sack total from the 2024 matchup with the Bills (0), but the secondary could be in trouble. Detroit allowed Saints QB Tyler Shough to throw for 410 yards on Sunday, setting a new career best. If the defensive backs don't play at a higher level Thursday, Allen might be the first quarterback to throw for 1,000 yards in a game.
Cornerbacks Rock Ya-Sin (10) and DJ Reed (9) were targeted the most against the Saints, and they will be asked to carry the load with the Bills as well. Ya-Sin wouldn't normally be a starter, but the Lions neglected the defensive backs in the offseason, and it already almost cost them a game. Unless the defense steps up in a major way, it could lead to video game-type numbers for the Bills on Thursday.
READ MORE: Jahmyr Gibbs might carry the Lions' offense in 2026 if Week 1 is any indication
Luckily for the Lions, the Bills didn't impress on defense in week one either. Former Detroit running back David Montgomery went off in his debut for the Texans, accounting for 79 total yards and three touchdowns against Buffalo. The Bills also allowed several big plays, as four different Texans had receptions of at least 20 yards.
The Lions have much better weapons than the Texans, so they should be able to put up some notable numbers as well. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs set a new career high for touches (34), and he finished with 186 total yards and two rushing touchdowns. According to NextGen Stats, Gibbs forced 12 missed tackles against the Saints, which is the most in any game of his career.
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown also seemed to be in his normal form, finishing week one with 10 receptions, 67 yards and two touchdowns. The offense should score more than 30 points again, but the defense will have to step up if the Lions are going to beat the Bills this time around.
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