Bills vs. Lions: game thread

DETROIT, MI. (WHEC)- The Buffalo Bills travel to Detroit to take on the 12-1 Lions.

THIRD QUARTER

-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.