ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Forget the official name of the Buffalo Bills’ new stadium. It’s Josh Allen’s house.
The quarterback quickly put his stamp on Highmark Stadium by throwing three touchdown passes and running for two more scores in a 41-31 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thursday night in the first regular-season game at the $2.1 billion facility.
And the only time Allen felt emotional was just before kickoff, during the performances of the U.S. and Canadian national anthems.
“I caught myself taking it all in an understanding how cool what I get to do. My job is the coolest in the world,” Allen said. “It’s everything I ever wanted, to be the quarterback of an NFL franchise. I’m just very fortunate to have ended up in Buffalo.”
After rewriting many of Buffalo’s scoring and passing records during his first eight seasons across the street at the old Highmark Stadium, the 30-year-old Allen looked at home at the team’s new digs.
Allen scored the first touchdown at the new stadium on a 1-yard plunge 5:51 minutes in. His second rushing TD, a 2-yard run, was the 83rd of his career tying him for 18th on the NFL list with Jim Taylor. And his sixth career five-TD outing, followed a four-touchdown performance in Buffalo’s season-opening 36-31 win at New Orleans.
“Anytime the ball’s in his hands, good things happen. And yeah, love that guy,” said Bills coach Joe Brady, who was so confident in his offense, he elected to take the opening kickoff after winning the coin flip.
“I wanted us to take the ball in this environment and set the tone,” Brady said. “That was the start that we needed.”
The Bills scored on each of their first four possessions with Josh Palmer’s 43-yard TD catch, followed by Dawson Knox’s 2-yard reception and Dalton Kincaid’s 16-yarder.
Allen finished 20 of 31 for 248 yards, and added 69 yards rushing. James Cook had 134 yards rushing and put the game away with a 1-yard TD run with 2:50 left.
Buffalo’s 41 points were the third-most by a team in its regular-season stadium debut, behind only Dallas, which scored 44 in its first game at Texas Stadium in 1971, and Miami scoring 42 in its first outing at Joe Robbie Stadium in 1987.
The Lions were undone by an injury depleted defense, and a banged-up offensive line that had difficulty opening holes for Jahmyr Gibbs and protecting Jared Goff.
“You play an opponent as potent as this, you don’t have the luxury of spitting and sputtering early,” coach Dan Campbell said of Detroit falling behind 21-0 with 11:48 left in the second quarter. “We needed to play. It didn’t have to be spotless, but it certainly needed to be a lot cleaner than that.”
The Lions’ defense got off to a dreadful start in allowing Bills to score 27 points and gain 299 yards in the first half alone, and 446 overall.
After rallying to cut Buffalo’s lead to 34-24 on Sam LaPorta’s 1-yard TD catch four minutes into the fourth quarter, the Lions offense stalled on their next drive. Backed up at their own 10, the Lions went three-and-out and forced to punt after Goff had two passes tipped by Deone Walker, and Gibbs was stopped for no gain.
The Bills responded by putting the game away on Cook’s TD.
Goff finished 26 of 38 for 327 yards and four touchdowns, with Amon-Ra St. Brown having nine catches for 142 yards and two scores. Gibbs also scored on an 11-yard catch but was limited to 52 yards rushing. Sam LaPorta also scored on a 1-yard catch.
“I think we knew what type of game it was going to be, and we dug ourselves in that hole,” Goff said. “Against a team like that with the offense they have, it was really tough to get back int it.”
St. Brown and Gibbs have now scored in the same game 22 times to move into a tie for fourth place in matching the Cleveland receiver/running back combo of Paul Warfield and Leroy Kelly
The Lions troubles began on Buffalo’s second drive when two defenders converged on DJ Moore in the flats and allowing Allen to find Palmer wide open deep for a 43-yard touchdowns. On Buffalo’s next drive, a holding penalty against Rock Ya-Sin, negated Skyler Gill-Howard’s interception of a tipped pass.
Injuries
Lions: DB Avonte Maddox hurt his right foot during a three-player collision in the end zone in the second quarter and did not return.
Bills: Starting DL Ed Oliver was ruled out after hurting his hip during pre-game warmups, leaving the Bills with four healthy linemen. ... WR DJ Moore was ruled out after hurting his shoulder and head when Ya-Sin landed on the player attempting to make a catch in the end zone.
Up next
Lions: Host the New York Jets on Sept. 27.
Bills: Host New England on Sept. 27.
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