Sept. 17, 2026Up to date Sept. 18, 2026, 1:13 a.m. ET
ORCHARD PARK, NY – They opened a brand new Highmark Stadium on Thursday night time in ideally suited vogue for the Payments Mafia.
With fireworks.
And never merely the pyrotechnics that gentle up the sky. Buffalo christened its new dwelling with an explosive present of offense led by Josh Allen – who else? – because it pummeled the Detroit Lions 41-31 within the stadium’s regular-season opener.
Allen marked his new dwelling territory by accounting for 5 touchdowns – three passing and two dashing – and leaving little doubt that the Payments (2-0) are poised to make their first season on the new stadium one thing particular.
In the meantime, the Lions (1-1) are reeling with an undermanned protection that has allowed 71 factors in its previous six quarters.
A evaluation of winners and losers:
WINNERS
Josh Allen
It’s by no means too early – at the very least in these components – to strike up the “MVP!” chant. And the Payments quarterback impressed the raucous crowd with one other scintillating efficiency that carried the house workforce. Allen produced 317 passing and dashing yards, and threw for 3 TDs whereas working for 2. Via two video games, Allen (the NFL’s MVP in 2024) has accounted for 9 touchdowns with zero turnovers. Sure, he’s stating his case.
Greg Rousseau
With two sacks and one other compelled fumble, the Payments edge rusher continued his torrid begin to the season. Rousseau sealed the victory at Houston on Sunday together with his strip-sack of C.J. Stroud, and completed with two sacks, 5 quarterback hurries, two compelled fumbles and two tackles for a loss. Then got here Thursday night time. Extra terror unleashed on the opposing quarterback. After two video games, Buffalo’s 2021 first-round decide has shortly vaulted himself, like Allen, into the dialog for main postseason honors. And on an evening when Corridor of Famer Bruce Smith fired up the followers earlier than kickoff with a “Let’s go, Buffalo!” chant because the Legend of the Recreation, it appeared becoming that Rousseau turned the primary Invoice since Smith to start out a season with two sacks within the first two video games.
Joe Brady
The rookie Payments coach gained his debut earlier than the house crowd and he helped set the tone after profitable the coin toss and electing to obtain. The Payments promptly produced a 10-play, 85-yard TD drive to jump-start the wave of momentum. However the coin toss wasn’t Brady’s first essential early choice. When Ed Oliver suffered a hip harm throughout pregame warmups, Brady had about two minutes to make the decision on whether or not to place the star defensive deal with on the inactive listing. And all of it labored out.
Joshua Palmer
For the second consecutive week – and on his second consecutive catch – the Payments’ No. 4 receiver struck for a long-distance landing. Within the first quarter a wide-open Palmer took benefit of busted protection to notch his first catch of the sport (on his first snap) in snagging a 43-yard cross from Allen to make it 14-0 with the conversion. On his final catch at Houston on Sunday, Palmer grabbed the 34-yard throw from Allen within the remaining two minutes that offered the profitable factors. Discuss benefiting from restricted snaps. That’s the red-hot Palmer about now.
James Prepare dinner
The Payments working again rushed for 101 yards – within the first half. On an evening when the NFL’s highest-paid working again was on the sphere within the type of the Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs, Prepare dinner appeared hardly content material with second billing. Prepare dinner completed with 135 dashing yards and averaged a whopping 6.4 yards per carry.
Dalton Kincaid
The fourth-year tight finish was undeniably Allen’s go-to goal (once more), main the Payments with seven catches for 95 yards, with a landing. This after Kincaid posted 5 catches for 130 yards in Week 1. The reliability was particularly essential on an evening the Payments misplaced No. 1 receiver D.J. Moore to a shoulder harm.
Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown
It began on a downer. However give it Goff and St. Brown, who did a lot to display that they weren’t about to permit their workforce to give up after falling right into a 21-0 gap. Goff handed for 327 yards and 4 touchdowns. St. Brown hauled in 9 passes for 142 yards and two TDs. Nevertheless it was too deep of a gap. And the stat sheet doesn’t present how the Lions repeatedly stung themselves with penalties…and the protection was not fairly prepared for primetime.
Deone Walker
With Ed Oliver scratched due to a hip harm, the second-year professional continued to display that the Payments nonetheless have an anchor in the midst of the line of defense.
Payments Mafia
The palace they’ve been ready for – the brand new Highmark Stadium – was christened earlier than a nationwide viewers in primetime. Whereas it’s smaller than the outdated Highmark throughout the road, it has the most recent facilities and acoustics that make the house stadium louder. For a $2.2 billion price ticket, together with a hefty contribution from taxpayers, good that they didn’t overlook the element of defending a big portion the followers from the weather with the overhanging roof. It was additionally apropos for the Payments to mark the event throughout pregame festivities by having dozens of followers unfurl banners that paid homage to the Payments Mafia and with an outsized patch that commemorated the inaugural season on the new digs.
LOSERS
Kelvin Sheppard
The second-year Lions defensive coordinator, working with a depleted secondary, had no solutions for Allen & Co. The Payments racked up 448 complete yards – and it felt like extra – as they punished Detroit by the air and on the bottom and put up seven touchdowns. What a wakeup name. The Lions nonetheless want a protection to remain aggressive. In keeping with NextGen Stats, the Lions blitzed Allen on 55.3% of his throws – the best fee for a sport in Sheppard’s one-plus seasons on the helm. Allen went 12-for-17 passing for 137 yards and two TDs vs. the blitz. Higher luck subsequent time.
Lions secondary
It retains raining and pouring. Already undermanned in beginning the season with out its injured tandem of top-notch safeties (Brian Department and Kerby Joseph), it was scorched by Josh Allen for 3 TD passes within the first half, when it misplaced fill-in beginning security Avonte Maddox to a foot harm. Detroit entered the sport ranked final within the NFL in opposition to the cross after Saints quarterback Tyler Shough stung it for 410 yards and three TDs in Week 1. And for an encore got here Allen.
Ed Oliver
Buffalo’s all-pro defensive deal with missed the grand event after sustaining a hip harm throughout pregame warmups. It was a tricky blow for the Payments to overlook the anchor of the D-line – simply days after his spectacular outing throughout the victory in opposition to the Texans. Oliver performed 82% of the snaps at Houston, greater than any Buffalo D-lineman, and registered 5 tackles (one for loss), a quarterback hit and a fumble restoration. The Payments undoubtedly hope Oliver’s absence isn’t as extended because the setback final season, when he went on injured reserve in October attributable to a torn biceps and didn’t return till the playoffs.
Jameson Williams
On an evening when the Lions wanted each huge play they may get, the proficient receiver barely made his presence felt and completed with two catches for 33 yards. Perhaps the movie will present that Buffalo schemed to take Williams away. Or perhaps not.
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