The Buffalo Bills are set to open up their new stadium in Week 2 on Thursday Night Football, giving them the spotlight to officially open it up when the entire world is watching. With that being said, it is a short week for them as they will face the Houston Texans down in Texans just four days prior.
Buffalo’s first home opponent of the regular season will be the Detroit Lions, who have emerged as a powerhouse in the NFL. Despite them missing the playoffs last season, they are reloading and are looking to make life miserable for Josh Allen, which could put a ton of pressure on the protection in front of him.
However, fans know that when it comes to the Lions, it's their offense that truly stands out. This matchup under the lights in primetime has the chance to be a high-scoring game where it could come down to whoever has the ball last.
As training camp nears here in a couple of weeks, we had the opportunity to talk with Candace Pedraza, who covers the Lions at Side Lion Report, and Pedraza was able to give valuable insights about the Lions for Bills fans as we enter the summer.
Pre-training camp insights about Lions that Bills fans won't want to miss
1.) What offseason move (free agency, NFL Draft, etc.) did the Lions make that has fans super excited for this season?
"Detroit fans have to be pleased with the Lions’ moves to shore up their offensive line this offseason. They did it through multiple avenues - in free agency by signing Cade Mays, in the draft by snagging Blake Miller at 17th overall, and through their trade with the Houston Texans for draft capital in exchange for a backup guard in Juice Scruggs. We also can’t overlook their additions of Larry Borom and Ben Bartch through free agency."
"The Lions offense wasn’t down too bad in 2025, but they had really poor pass protection and run blocking compared to the line they trotted out in 2024. These additions, as well as a presumably better year from both Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany, could make all the difference for Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, and newly acquired running back Isiah Pacheco."
2.) Training camp is coming up here very soon. If you had to pick one overlooked player that could emerge as a fan-favorite that could produce, who is it and why?
"I’ll say that one rookie might actually end up impressing Lions fans, and that’s cornerback Keith Abney II. He’s already dropped some endearing words about his role as a defender, telling team reporter Tim Twentyman he literally loves to hit people. In the context of this Dan Campbell era of Lions football, that’s like saying the word “walk” around your dog - it’s going to make you lean forward in your seat a bit."
"Abney was also seen as a steal in this year’s draft, with NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein projecting him as a 3rd-round pick. He landed with the Lions in the 5th as a potential starting nickelback in Kelvin Sheppard’s defense, or at the very least, as an excellent backup to Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed as an outside corner."
3.) With Drew Petzing coming in as the new OC for Detroit, what do you think will be the offensive philosophy that the Bills will have to deal with?
"Buffalo’s going to have to feel comfortable with taking down some of the Lions’ bigger personnel - Sam LaPorta and Isaac TeSlaa come to mind immediately in that respect. Petzing was in love with utilizing tight end Trey McBride while with the Cardinals in 2025, although that might’ve been because he really had no other choice thanks to injuries ravaging their offense. Additionally, Petzing’s philosophy leans heavily into a balance between a play-action heavy scheme and tons of rushing."
"The Lions hold one of the best running backs in the NFL in Jahmyr Gibbs, and as we know, the Bills were worse for wear in 2025 when it came to getting runners down. If Detroit’s offensive line is as improved as we think it is, Gibbs could have a field day in Petzing’s system - and, a field day against the Bills."
4.) What is a major area of concern for the Lions heading into this season that the Bills could very well take advantage of in Week 2?
"We don’t really know what Detroit’s safety room will look like headed into the early parts of this season. Kerby Joseph might be ready to go, but Brian Branch certainly won’t be as he suffered an Achilles tear late in 2025. If Joseph is available, that still leaves a hole at safety left behind by Branch. Can Avonte Maddox or seasoned veteran Chuck Clark solve that problem for the Lions temporarily? It’s definitely possible. But, bombs down the field from Josh Allen could get hairy for Detroit if they don’t figure out how to make up for Branch being presumably out in Week 2."
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