Buffalo Bills complete the three-peat on Thanksgiving against the Detroit Lions
For the second straight week, the Buffalo Bills face off in Detroit, but this time on Turkey Day against the Detroit Lions
A slow start to this Turkey Day game resulted in back-to-back three and outs by both teams.
In the first quarter, however, it was the Detroit Lions who got on the board first after a 12-play, 61-yard drive was capped on a two-yard touchdown run by Jamaal Williams to take a 7-0 lead.
The Buffalo Bills responded.
Josh Allen led a 10-play drive, highlighted by a dime to Isaiah McKenzie, for pay dirt to tie the game at seven.
Sparring was ensured after the teams matched each other on the scoreboard.
On Detroit’s next drive, defensive tackle Ed Oliver ended the Lions’ possession by forcing and corralling a fumble by Williams. The Bills took over from Buffalo’s 42-yard line and expertly drove the field to take a 14-7 lead on an eight-yard Josh Allen run.
Late in the half, the Lions possessed the ball for more than six minutes, driving 76 yards in 15 plays to tie the game with 1:52 to play before halftime. It was on this drive that future Hall-of-Famer, Von Miller, left the game with a reported knee injury.
Buffalo Bills take a halftime lead with a field goal on their final drive of the first half
As Buffalo has done so well all season long, they respond before the halftime gun. Allen again led a 10-play drive, which resulted in a 47-yard field goal by Bass to give the Bills a 17-14 lead into the half, with a chance to double up in the ballgame.
To open the second half, the Bills drove the ball 64 yards before the offense gave it back to Detroit on Allen’s 11th interception of the season.
Detroit, however, did not capitalize, resulting in a safety credited to Ed Oliver forcing Detroit to kick it back to Buffalo. After possessions by both teams, the Lions cashed in on a touchdown pass from Jared Goff to receiver D.J. Chark and converted the two-point conversion to make the score 22-19.
Buffalo then drove 90 yards in 15 plays to recapture the lead on a five-yard pass from Allen to Stefon Diggs to make the score 25-22 after a missed Tyler Bass field goal. After mismanaging the clock on its final possession prior to the end of regulation, the Lions kick a game-tying field goal with 23 seconds to play.
The Bills took possession from its own 39-yard line and Allen found Diggs for a 36-yard catch and run, which put the Bills in Tyler Bass’ range. After two running plays by Allen, Tyler Bass nailed a 45-yard field goal to give Buffalo its eighth win on the season and its third win on Thanksgiving, completing the trifecta, in the last four years.
The Buffalo Bills will face off in Foxborough next week against the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football.
