Detroit
Lions
0-1
17
FINAL
21
Buffalo
Bills
1-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a tightly contested matchup, the Buffalo Bills held off the Detroit Lions with a final score of 21-17, improving their record to 2-0 in the 2026 season. The stakes were high as both teams sought to establish early dominance in the league, but it was Buffalo's resilience that ultimately prevailed.
Josh Allen led the Bills' offense, throwing for 190 yards and a touchdown, while also managing the game effectively. Tyreek Hill was a standout receiver, racking up 81 yards and posing a constant threat to the Lions' secondary. James Cook III contributed significantly on the ground with 59 rushing yards, helping to keep the chains moving and maintain offensive momentum.
Defensively, the Bills made crucial plays that sealed the game, highlighted by Terrel Bernard's timely interception that thwarted a Lions scoring opportunity. The Lions’ defense was active as well, with Levi Onwuzurike notching two sacks, but it was Buffalo's ability to capitalize on turnovers that marked the turning point in this matchup. With the victory, the Bills now look to build on their early-season success as they head into Week 3.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Allen | QB | 26 | 22 | 85% | 190 | 1 | 2 | 77.8 |
| Jared Goff | QB | 11 | 4 | 36% | 73 | 1 | 2 | 50.7 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 0 | 2 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cook III | HB | 21 | 59 | 2.8 | 27 | 1 | 22 | 0 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | HB | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 8 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Kareem Hunt | HB | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jacob Saylors | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jameson Williams | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Allen | QB | 5 | -3 | -0.6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| DJ Moore | WR | 1 | -6 | -6.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyreek Hill | WR | 7 | 81 | 11.6 | 38 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Jameson Williams | WR | 3 | 71 | 23.7 | 40 | 1 | 43 | 0 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 4 | 42 | 10.5 | 5 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| James Cook III | HB | 4 | 41 | 10.3 | 37 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 6 | 21 | 3.5 | 17 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| DJ Moore | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D.J. Wonnum | REDG | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Levi Onwuzurike | DT | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kerby Joseph | FS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kristian Fulton | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Christian Benford | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jimmy Rolder | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrel Bernard | MIKE | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| D.J. Reed | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Sanders | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alim McNeill | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Landon Jackson | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maxwell Hairston | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Roger McCreary | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mekhi Wingo | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ennis Rakestraw Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Barnes | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brian Branch | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Kilgore | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Campbell | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Turner | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Damar Hamlin | FS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Greg Rousseau | LEDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Fox | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Bates | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 54 |
| Charlie Smyth | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |

