It was a Buffalo Bills‘ stampede on Thursday Night. Buffalo dominated the Detroit Lions 41-31 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score suggests. It was a perfect way to introduce the Bills’ arrival to the new Highmark Stadium.
It’s early, but Josh Allen looks to be building a strong MVP case. Through two games, he has nine total touchdowns. Five have been through the air, and four have been on the ground. In this recent game alone, he threw three touchdowns and scored two rushing touchdowns.
The five and four split mentioned above made Allen the first NFL player ever to have three or more in each category in the first two weeks of a season. The most impressive stat may be the zero in the turnover column. He hasn’t given away the ball yet amidst all the high production.
Yes, Allen came close to turning the ball over last week against the Houston Texans right before his game-winning touchdown, but every quarterback gets away with a few in a game. In this most recent game against Detroit, he was very smart with the football.
No Allen pass against the Lions was in danger of being intercepted, and he didn’t lose the ball while running. It seems like new head coach Joe Brady has unlocked another level for the former 2018 draft pick. He’s not afraid to use every bit of Allen’s skill set.
One example is that Allen has run the ball 20 times already. In the 2025 season under Sean McDermott, he averaged 6.59 carries per game. It’s still early, and the averages will certainly fluctuate as the season goes on, but as of right now, Allen is raising his ceiling. If this keeps up, the Bills’ stampede to the No. 1 seed for the first time in the Allen regime could be on the horizon.
Now let’s turn to the victims of the Bills’ stampede: The Lions. They have now allowed 71 points in two games. After letting the New Orleans Saints drop 30 points in the second half and overtime of Week One, Detroit quickly went down 21-0 in Buffalo to start the game.
The defense is in a tough situation right now. The Lions are missing both of their star safeties. Kirby Joseph and Brian Branch were placed on the PUP list in the opening week, so they will miss at least four games. Branch suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in 2025, while Joseph dealt with a chronic knee injury that sidelined him for the final 11 games of 2025.
Detroit needs both of them back because Allen and Tyler Shough have had their way with that defense. That begs the question: How quickly can the safeties return to form in their return? Since Branch and Joseph are the last line of defense, it’s paramount that they perform at a reasonably high level.
If either Branch or Joseph are hampered or rusty, the results of what is happening now could continue past Week Four. It’s important that when they return, they are healthy and ready to go. Otherwise, their return may not immediately solve the problems.
The struggles were evident with Branch and Joseph missing time. The Lions were ranked in the bottom half of the league against the pass in every major statistical category last year. It cannot happen again for a team with high aspirations.
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It was the perfect night for the Bills’ stampede on Thursday Night. The new stadium looked brilliant at night in primetime. It would be a cool moment for the franchise if Allen wins an MVP in his first season in the new Highmark and if he can also lead the Buffalo to a Super Bowl.
For Detroit, it needs to figure out the defense’s struggles. It starts with the health of their safeties, and then it goes from there.
Will Allen win a second MVP? Are the Lions still a legit contender?
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