New York (AFP) – Josh Allen threw a perfect housewarming for Buffalo’s brand new NFL stadium as the Bills comfortably beat the Detroit Lions 41-31 on Thursday. In the first regular-season game at the $2.2 billion Highmark Stadium, Allen passed for 248 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 69 yards and two more touchdowns.
Both teams had entered the clash 1-0 after their high-scoring offenses sealed late wins on the season’s opening weekend. But Detroit could not live with Allen and the Bills in Thursday’s first half, as Buffalo scored touchdowns on each of its first four drives, opening up a double-digit lead that it never lost. “This is a great spot. We’re hopefully going to be here for a long time,” said Allen. “We executed in the first half… We stayed pretty constant and found a way to win.”
Related news
In the stadium’s first-ever drive, Allen had an uncharacteristic fumble recovered, before rushing on multiple plays and all the way into the endzone. The Bills’ next touchdown was scored by Joshua Palmer — who grabbed a pass in the dying seconds last Sunday for Buffalo’s win over Houston. He found himself wide open here and seized a 43-yard Allen pass. Early in the second quarter it was 21-0. After several fouls by an increasingly desperate Lions defense, Allen sent it to tight end Dawson Knox for another touchdown.
Detroit grabbed one back as star running back Jahmyr Gibbs made multiple rushes before turning receiver for a Jared Goff touchdown pass. Buffalo’s own elite back James Cook III came to life, driving the ball 62 yards across three consecutive rushes. Allen picked out Dalton Kincaid for touchdown number four, though the drive was marred by an injury to newly acquired receiver DJ Moore, who did not return.
A field goal and an Amon-Ra St. Brown touchdown either side of halftime briefly subdued the raucous Bills Mafia. But Allen scrambled for a fifth touchdown to get the festivities back on track. Tight end Sam LaPorta and St. Brown grabbed Detroit consolation touchdowns, either side of one for Buffalo’s Cook, who had rushed for 135 yards across a productive night.
The jubilant night at the Bills’ gleaming new, open-air arena — just across the street from their old home — had begun with a rendition of “O Canada” along with the US anthem. The gesture, introduced in the midst of Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada and criticized by some Republican voices, was a nod to the Bills’ giant fanbase across the nearby border. Buffalo sits just a two-hour drive along Lake Ontario — recently renamed Lake America by Trump amid the hostilities — from Toronto. But Ontario-based rock band Barenaked Ladies’ a cappella rendition of Canada’s anthem was warmly received in the 61,000-capacity arena. Bills legend Bruce Smith then pumped up the crowd with the words “We’re going Lion hunting,” and Allen took up the call.
© 2024 AFP
