Game Recap

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Bills 41, Lions 31 | Final Score, recap + highlights

Sep 18, 2026 at 12:05 AM

Mike Maynard

Seasonal Writing Associate

Location: Highmark Stadium

Final score: Bills 41, Lions 31

Records: Bills (2-0), Lions (1-1)

Next opponent: Bills vs. Chargers Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. EST

The Buffalo Bills won the first-ever game at Highmark Stadium, defeating the Detroit Lions 41-31 on Thursday night. Josh Allen was dominant in the victory, single-handedly scoring five touchdowns.

With the win, Joe Brady became the first head coach in Bills history to start his tenure 2-0.

Game Recap

The Bills wasted no time acclimating to their new home, winning the opening coin toss at Highmark Stadium and electing to receive. Buffalo gave the ball to QB Josh Allen and let him get to work, watching the 30-year-old pick up 39 yards with his legs on a trio of scrambles.

In poetic fashion, Allen took the 10th snap of the opening drive from the one-yard line, hesitating before pushing his way across the goal line for the first touchdown in the new stadium.

Allen and the offense's second drive of the night began with a missed deep shot to WR Khalil Shakir. The gunslinger continued to move the ball, making up for the mishap in a big way six plays later.

WR Josh Palmer used his speed to get vertical quickly up the right seam, blazing past any defender in sight. Allen dealt with pressure on a blitz up the middle, standing strong and delivering a pass to his wide-open target for a 43-yard touchdown.

The Lions couldn't get out of their own way on the Bills third offensive drive of the night. Two backbreaking penalties down in the red zone set up Allen with a second-and-goal from the one-yard line.

Off a play-action fake, Allen got outside the pocket to his right and had space to run, deciding instead to rifle one in to TE Dawson Knox over the middle for a one-yard passing touchdown.

Three touchdowns in the first half wasn't enough for the Bills. RB James Cook III picked up 55 yards on the ground on back-to-back 20+ yard carries near the end of the second quarter.

From 16 yards out, Allen found his other TE Dalton Kincaid on a post up the right seam. After a career day in Week 1 against the Texans, Kincaid again had a huge performance. The 26-year-old tallied 95 yards in the win on seven catches.

A missed point after touchdown after Kincaid's score gave Buffalo 27 points, reaching an impressive landmark.

With that touchdown, the Bills became the first team to score 27+ points in the first half in their new home stadium since the 1971 Cowboys scored 34 first-half points at Texas Stadium.

Buffalo's offense was dominant in the first half, putting up 299 total yards. Cook rushed for an efficient 101 yards on the ground, on just 11 attempts. The offensive outburst sent the Bills into halftime up 27-10.

The success continued into the second half, with Buffalo extending the lead by finding the end zone two more times.

Allen truly made sure to leave his mark on Highmark Stadium in his first game in the building. He finished with 248 yards through the air and three touchdowns, adding 69 yards on the ground and two touchdowns with his legs.

With his second standout performance of the year, Allen cemented himself as the first player in NFL history with 5+ passing touchdowns and 3+ rushing touchdowns through two games of a season.

DL Ed Oliver injured his hip in warmups prior to the matchup with the Lions. The 28-year-old was a surprise to pop up on the inactives list, opening the door for his teammates to pick up the slack in a bigger role.

OLB Greg Rousseau stepped up and joined some impressive company on Thursday, becoming the second Bills player in history to record 2.0+ sacks in each of the first two games of a season since Bruce Smith in 1996.

Both of Rousseau's sacks came in the first 13 minutes of play. His first came on third and eight on the opening drive, using his power and length to drive the Lions offensive line into the backfield. He got to QB Jared Goff from his blindside, wrapping up his legs from behind and forcing a three-and-out.

Detroit's second drive of the night began with two chunk plays. Rousseau quickly put a stop to his opponent's fun, again powering around the left edge and getting Goff from behind. This time he forced the ball loose, as he had twice in Week 1, with a quick recovery by the Lions.

Coming off the other edge, OLB Bradley Chubb had a nice day for himself. The veteran got to Goff for a 13-yard loss on a sack in the second quarter. Chubb and OLB Michael Hoecht combined for another sack as Detroit attempted to make a comeback late in the fourth quarter.

DL Deone Walker stepped up on the interior, impacting the game in his own way. The 22-year-old saw a lot of blocking attention but used it to his advantage. Using his 6-foot-7 frame, Walker batted down three passes throughout the night at the line of scrimmage.

Despite the success by the Bills' defensive front, the Lions still put together a solid showing offensively. Goff tallied 327 passing yards in the loss with four touchdowns.

Detroit WR Amon-Ra St. Brown led the way receiving, being targeted 13 times on Thursday and catching nine passes for 142 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The Bills get a good chance to rest after Thursday night's victory. Up next, they take on the Los Angeles Chargers, with kickoff from Highmark Stadium set for Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. EST.