Bills beat Lions in offensive shootout
DETROIT, MI. (WHEC)- The Buffalo Bills beat the Detroit Lions 48-42 in an offensive showdown.
Josh Allen threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more. Allen also passed for a season-high 362 yards as well.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff also had a ridiculous day, passing for 494 yards and five scores.
The Bills leading receiver was running back Ty Johnson who caught five passes for 114 yards. Keon Coleman caught just one ball, but it was for 64 yards, ranking second for the Bills on the day.
For the Lions, Amon-Ra St. Brown was a monster, hauling in 14 catches for 193 yards, though the Lion’s top receiver did fumble once in the third quarter. Sam LaPorta also surpassed the 100-yard mark for Detroit.
DRIVE-BY-DRIVE BREAKDOWN
FOURTH QUARTER
-Taron Johnson recovered an onside kick and the Bills kneeled down to win 48-42 on the road.
-Lions respond with a 16-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a touchdown reception from Jameson Williams. Bills still lead 48-42 with 0:12 left in the game.
-Buffalo made it four-straight scoring drives with a 10-play, 47-yard set that ended with a Tyler Bass field goal, his second of the day. Bills lead 48-35 with 2:03 left in regulation.
-The Lions responded with an 11-play, 70-yard drive that ate up nearly four minutes of clock. Jahmyr Gibbs punched it in from one-yard out. Bills still lead 45-35 with 8:02 left in the game.
-On an onside kick attempt by Detroit, Mack Hollins recovered it and ran it back 37 yards to set the Bills up at the five-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Allen found Ray Davis in the flats for a five-yard score as Buffalo took a 45-28 lead with 11:51 left to go.
-The Lions quickly got down the field on a five-play, 70-yard drive that was capped off as Jared Goff found Jahmyr Gibbs for a 12-yard touchdown catch and run. Bills still lead 38-28 with 12:00 left in the fourth quarter.
-Buffalo retook their three-possession lead with a seven-play, 38-yard drive that was capped off with a Tyler Bass 50-yard field goal. Buffalo leads 38-21 with 14:02 left in regulation.
THIRD QUARTER
-With a two-score lead, the Bills took over at their own 30-yard line, finding Mack Hollins on first down for seven yards and losing a yard on second down. On 3rd & 4, Josh Allen fired deep to Dalton Kincaid for a 29-yard gain as the clock hit zero in the quarter. Bills lead 35-21 after three quarters.
-Detroit, down three touchdowns, faltered to start their next drive, picking up just four yards on four plays, even being hampered by a holding call to set up a 3rd & 17. That’s when Jared Goff fired deep to Amon Ra St. Brown who broke one tackle and 66 yards later was in the endzone for a Detroit touchdown. Lions still trail 35-21 with 1:41 to go in the third quarter.
-The Bills capitalized off of the Lions’ turnover, scoring on a five-play, 26-yard drive that was capped off by a Khalil Shakir touchdown from three yards out. Buffalo takes a 35-14 lead with 3:31 left in the third quarter.
-The Lions took over at their own four-yard line and quickly picked up 25 yards on three plays before Bills cornerback Christian Benford forced a fumble that Matt Milano recovered.
-The Bills began their second drive of the third quarter at their own eight-yard line. On 2nd & 8, Josh Allen picked up a first down with his feet and then did it again on 2nd & 10 before facing a 3rd & 10 at their own 38-yard line. Allen found Khalil Shakir for seven yards before the Bills opted to punt for the first time all game. Buffalo still leads 28-14 with 7:03 left in the third quarter.
-The Lions were unable to muster anything at all on their ensuing drive as Greg Rousseau picked up a sack on 3rd down to force a Lions punt. Buffalo takes over with a 28-14 lead at their own 10-yard line with 11:16 left in the third quarter.
-The Bills opened up the third quarter with a 19-yard pass to Ty Johnson that put the Bills in Detroit territory. Two plays later, James Cook found a seem and went 41 yards to the house for his second rushing touchdown of the day. Buffalo takes a 28-14 with 13:11 left in the third quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
-The Bills got to midfield near the end of the first half, but came up with zero points. Buffalo leads 21-14 at half.
-Detroit capitalized off of Buffalo’s missed field goal, driving 46 yards on three plays before back-to-back incomplete passes set the Lions up with 3rd & 10 from Buffalo’s 34-yard line. Amon Ra St. Brown dropped a pass that would have picked up the first down. The Lions kicked and missed a 52-yard field goal. Buffalo still leads 21-14 with 0:36 left in the second quarter
-Buffalo started its next drive with a bang as Josh Allen found Keon Coleman for 64 yards, three more yards were tacked on thanks to a Roughing the Passing call on the Lions. Buffalo was unable to find the endzone, even after getting down to the goal line. A false start penalty pushed the Bills back to the six-yard line before Allen’s pass to Mack Hollins fell incomplete. Tyler Bass missed a field goal from 24 yards out. Detroit takes over as Buffalo still leads 21-14 with 1:43 left in the second quarter.
-The Lions, trailing 21-7, went for it on 4th & 4 from midfield, picking it up with a Jared Goff pass to Amon Ra St. Brown that went for 21 yards. The Lions, at the Bills 25-yard line, faced a 3rd & 10 when Jared Goff raced for 10 yards to move the chains. Detroit punched it in from nine yards out when Goff threw to offensive lineman Dan Skipper for a touchdown to make it 21-14 with 3:01 left in the first half.
-Buffalo drove 70 yards on nine plays as James Cook punched the ball in from six yards out to give Buffalo a 21-7 lead with 8:15 left in the first half. The longest play of the drive came on 4th & 2 at midfield when Josh Allen found Ty Johnson on a wheel route that put Buffalo at Detroit’s 20-yard line.
-Lions start the second quarter with the ball inside Bills territory. The Lions used a Jahmyr Gibbs run to get inside the Bills 10-yard line before finding themselves on 3rd & 9. Jared Goff then scrambled to his right, and found Tim Patrick around the five-yard line before the receiver leaped over a Bills defender for the score. The Bills lead 14-7 with 13:36 left in the second quarter.
FIRST QUARTER
-Detroit responded with its best drive yet, converting on a pair of second downs as Detroit starts the second quarter at the Bills 26-yard line down 14-0, after a flea flicker eventually found Amon Ra St. brown for 24 yards.
-Buffalo’s second drive of the game began with a 28-yard pass to James Cook as caught a Josh Allen pass as he was roaming out to his left. Buffalo then found itself inside the Lions 25-yard line as James Cook got to the outside and picked up another 13 yards to put the Bills inside the 10. That’s where Allen, once again, picked up a rushing touchdown, this time from four yards out. Buffalo takes a 14-0 lead with 2:05 left in the first quarter.
-Detroit took over down 7-0 and picked up their first first down with a Jared Goff pass to Tim Patrick before Christian Benford sacked Goff to force 2nd & 18. Then on 3rd & 13, Ed Oliver sacked Goff again. Forcing a Lions punt as Buffalo took over at their own 22-yard line with 7:44 to go in the first half with a 7-0 lead.
-The Bills first drive began with a five-yard rush by James Cook before Josh Allen found Ty Johnson on a wheel route for 33 yards to put the Bills in Detroit territory. Then facing a 3rd & 5, Allen escaped to his right, was trapped between Lions defenders and the sideline before firing to Ty Johnson again for a first down. Josh Allen capped the drive off with a one-yard QB sneak to five Buffalo a 7-0 lead after the extra point. 10:45 left in the first quarter.
-On the Lions opening drive, Detroit threw the ball twice and ran once, adding up to zero yards. The Bills received the punt as Brandon Codrington took a 17-yard return as Buffalo took over at their own 27 with 14:02 left in the first quarter.
-The Bills deferred the opening kickoff, so the Detroit Lions received the opening kickoff.
Follow along here for drive-by-drive updates.
PREGAME
For our pregame feature, go here.
According to the New York Times, the Bills chances of earning the one seed in the AFC would drastically improve with a win over the Lions today.
