By admin 
The Lions certainly won’t have it easy on Thursday night facing Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
Read more Shohei Ohtani Takes Major Step Toward Dodgers Return After Injury Scare
Detroit barely squeaked out a 31-30 victory against New Orleans in its regular season opener. Meanwhile, Allen and the Bills took care of business against the Texans, scoring 36 points on a Houston defense that led the NFL in yards allowed and ranked second in points allowed last season.
Allen passed for 334 yards and two touchdowns, and added another two scores on the ground. Additionally, tight end Dalton Kincaid produced a game-high 130 receiving yards and wide receiver DJ Moore contributed another 100.
It could be a bad omen for Dan Campbell’s team, which had an extremely difficult time stopping Saints quarterback Tyler Shough and receiver Chris Olave in the second half this past Sunday.
Shough ended up throwing for 410 yards and three touchdowns, while Olave amassed 10 receptions for 182 yards. The quarterback-receiver duo torched the Lions’ secondary, spearheading a valiant comeback attempt that saw New Orleans erase a 21-0 deficit.
Consequently, it’s expected Detroit’s defensive backfield will have its hands full – and then some – trying to limit the productivity of Allen and Buffalo’s passing game.
Allen, a four-time Pro Bowler and the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2024, is undoubtedly one of the game’s very best passers. He’s thrown for at least 3,600 yards and 25 touchdowns each season since 2020, and has also rushed for at least 12 TDs in each of the past three seasons. He’s the very definition of a dual-threat passer, and should give Kelvin Sheppard’s defense fits in the Week 2 primetime affair.
The Wyoming product also had plenty of success against Detroit in the past. He’s 3-0 all-time vs. the Lions, with five passing touchdowns and another four rushing scores to his name. He’s also garnered 819 passing yards and another 162 yards on the ground in his career vs. the Lions.
Read more Snap Counts From Texans’ Week 1 Loss, and What They Mean
And on top of all that, Allen and his teammates will have some extra motivation going into Thursday’s contest, with it being the first ever game played at the Bills’ new home stadium: Highmark Stadium. It should be a raucous atmosphere, and “Bills Mafia” will be as loud and proud as ever before.
So, there’s no question Detroit will be entering the very essence of a hostile environment in Buffalo, one which could shift the tide in favor of the Joe Brady-led team.
The Lions can ill-afford to play a less than “A-level” game against the Bills. And if they do, it will cost Campbell & Co. dearly on Thursday night.
At this present juncture, I’m willing to give Detroit a 32 percent chance to secure the Week 2 victory.
Today’s best reads
- 6 Storylines I’m Watching Most in Lions Week 2 Matchup Against Bills
- Detroit Lions Season Will Sink If Secondary Stays Same
- Everything Dan Campbell Said After Lions Defeated Saints
- It’s Now or Never For Detroit Lions To Trade For Joey Porter Jr.
- Roundtable: Should Lions Be Concerned About Saints?
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi as Odds Detroit Lions Defeat Buffalo Bills in Week 2.
Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Read more Orioles Manager Has Shane Baz Update After Getting Hit by Comebacker
This story was originally published September 16, 2026 at 6:19 AM.