The Buffalo Bills officially opened the new era at Highmark Stadium with a collision against the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football. It was a high-scoring affair, but the Bills' offense was too much for Detroit to handle, as they came away with a 41-31 win.
There's a lot to be happy about if you're a Bills fan, yet some things stand out more than others. With 10 days of rest until their Week 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, here are three instant takeaways from the win over the Lions.
3 immediate reactions to Buffalo's Week 2 win over Detroit
DJ Moore is hurt but Buffalo playmakers look ready to step up
Moore exited the game against Detroit with a shoulder injury, along with a stinger. That's unfortunate, as this is the second game of his Bills career. But fans shouldn't be too worried, as it looks like the other pass catchers on the team are ready to carry the load.
Tight end Dalton Kincaid was discussed as a breakout candidate, and his outing against the Lions was another example of why that seems like it will come true. Kincaid led the team in targets (8), catches (7), and receiving yards (95) with a touchdown. For the second straight week, he's finished with five-plus grabs and 90-plus receiving yards.
Whether he's a safety blanket, an option in the intermediate area of the field, or attacking downfield, Kincaid is doing it all. If Moore is sidelined for an extended period of time, Kincaid may be the No. 1 option in the pass game.
Receiver Keon Coleman was another name who took advantage of Moore's injury. He posted six catches for 63 yards. In the win over Detroit, Allen kept looking his way, and that is a nice sign going forward.
Bills defensive line made an impact without top interior linemen
DT Ed Oliver hurt his hip in warm-ups and was ruled out for the game. That was a surprising development, but it didn't stop the defensive line from making their presence felt. The Bills sacked Jared Goff four times, led by Greg Rousseau.
He took down Goff twice in the first half. Rousseau joins Bruce Smith (1996) as the only other Bills player in team history to record two-plus sacks in each of the first two games of the season. The Miami product looks like he's hitting another gear this year, and that's a player who could take this defense to new heights.
In the first half, they had three sacks, and the best part was that two of them came with only four pass rushers.
In addition, defensive tackle Deone Walker was active at the line of scrimmage. Even though he didn't record any sacks, he got his hands up and impacted passing lanes. Walker finished with three pass deflections, with two of them coming on one drive.
With the Bills up 34-24 with 8:25 left in the fourth quarter, Walker swatted down two passes on the drive, which quickly ended in a 3-and-out for the Lions. On the next drive, the Bills went down and scored another touchdown, putting them up 41-24, effectively ending the game.
Yes, the Lions were down three starters on the offensive line, but the DL took care of business and did so without one of their best players.
Josh Allen may have taken yet another step and is an early MVP candidate
We know Allen is one of the best players in the league, but wow, it looks like the superstar quarterback has continued to grow as a player. He was making plays with both his arm and legs in this outing. Allen went 20-of-31 for 248 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. He also added 69 rushing yards and another two scores.
Allen is the third player all time with 9-plus Pass/Rush TDs and no turnovers in his team's first two games of a season, per ESPN's Insights. The other two players were Peyton Manning (2013) and Patrick Mahomes (2018), both of whom won the MVP.
His performance comes after he torched the Texans' defense to the tune of 334 passing yards and four total touchdowns. Allen is quickly processing what the defense is trying to do and finding ways to pick it apart.
Allen won the MVP in 2024, but with how he's kicking off the 2026 campaign, there's no question that he'll be in that conversation again. The Bills believe they are Super Bowl contenders, and considering great Allen looked once again on Thursday night, that isn't an overreaction. It's a statement.
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