Lions have problems after Josh Allen toys with them in Bills' blast

ORCHARD PARK, NY – Pretty much everything the Detroit Lions tried in the first half on Thursday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills did not work.

The Lions quickly fell into a 21-point hole early in the second quarter and never recovered in a concerning 41-31 loss in the Bills’ christening of the new Highmark Stadium.

Josh Allen accounted for five of Buffalo’s six touchdowns. He tossed three TD passes (to Josh Palmer, Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid) and ran for another in the first half, and the Lions (1-1) committed seven penalties in the same time frame, trailing 27-10 at halftime against the Bills (2-0).

The Lions twice moved within 10 points (27-17 and 34-24). But after a rare defensive stop early in the fourth quarter, the offense went three-and-out while backed up near its own end zone.

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James Cook ran all over the Lions’ defense for 135 yards on 21 carries and a 1-yard TD to ice the game with 2:50 remaining, and Kincaid led the Bills with seven catches for 95 yards after they lost top wideout DJ Moore to a shoulder injury in the first half.

Gibbs had 16 rushes for 52 yards and six catches for 61 yards and a score. St. Brown had nine catches for 142 yards, while Goff was 26-for-38 for 327 yards and no turnovers.

Well, first some rest. After playing on a short week following their opener, the Lions will take the weekend off before getting ready for next week’s game against the Jets at Ford Field in Detroit. That marks coach Dan Campbell’s first game against his old defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

Last year, Campbell and the Lions hung 52 points on Ben Johnson in their first game against their old offensive coordinator. The Jets beat the Tennessee Titans on the road in their opener, 23-10, but aren’t a very good team. Geno Smith is Glenn’s quarterback this season.

• Week 1: W, 31-30 vs. New Orleans Saints.

• Week 2, Thursday, Sept. 17: L, 41-24 at Buffalo Bills

• Week 3, Sunday, Sept. 27: vs. New York Jets, 1 p.m., Fox.

• Week 4, Sunday, Oct. 4: at Carolina Panthers, 8:20 p.m., NBC.

• Week 5, Sunday, Oct. 11: at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m., Fox.

• Week 6, Sunday, Oct. 18: BYE.

• Week 7, Sunday, Oct. 25: vs. Green Bay Packers, 4:25 p.m., Fox.

• Week 8, Sunday, Nov. 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m., Fox.

• Week 9, Sunday, Nov. 8: at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m., Fox.

• Week 10, Sunday, Nov. 15: vs. New England Patriots in Germany, 9:30 a.m., Fox.

• Week 11, Sunday, Nov. 22: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m., CBS.

• Week 12, Thursday, Nov. 26: vs. Chicago Bears, 1 p.m., CBS.

• Week 13, Sunday, Dec. 6: at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. CBS.

• Week 14, Sunday, Dec. 13: vs. Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m., Fox.

• Week 15, Sunday, Dec. 20: at Minnesota Vikings, 8:20 p.m., NBC.

• Week 16, Monday, Dec. 28: vs. New York Giants, 8:15 p.m., ESPN.

• Week 17, Sunday, Jan. 3: at Chicago Bears, 4:25 p.m., Fox.

• Week 18, TBD: at Green Bay Packers, TBD.

Week 2, Thursday, Sept. 17: L, 41-24 at Buffalo Bills

Week 3, Sunday, Sept. 27: vs. New York Jets, 1 p.m., Fox.

Week 4, Sunday, Oct. 4: at Carolina Panthers, 8:20 p.m., NBC.

Week 5, Sunday, Oct. 11: at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m., Fox.

Week 7, Sunday, Oct. 25: vs. Green Bay Packers, 4:25 p.m., Fox.

Week 8, Sunday, Nov. 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m., Fox.

Week 9, Sunday, Nov. 8: at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m., Fox.

Week 10, Sunday, Nov. 15: vs. New England Patriots in Germany, 9:30 a.m., Fox.

Week 11, Sunday, Nov. 22: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m., CBS.

Week 12, Thursday, Nov. 26: vs. Chicago Bears, 1 p.m., CBS.

Week 13, Sunday, Dec. 6: at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. CBS.

Week 14, Sunday, Dec. 13: vs. Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m., Fox.

Week 15, Sunday, Dec. 20: at Minnesota Vikings, 8:20 p.m., NBC.

Week 16, Monday, Dec. 28: vs. New York Giants, 8:15 p.m., ESPN.

Week 17, Sunday, Jan. 3: at Chicago Bears, 4:25 p.m., Fox.

Week 18, TBD: at Green Bay Packers, TBD.

This breaking news story will be updated.

Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions have problems after Josh Allen toys with them in Bills’ blast