Buffalo got here proper again, scoring on their third straight possession to open the sport, this time on a 6-yard James Prepare dinner landing run.
Trailing by 14, Detroit countered again on their subsequent possession, discovering the tip zone for the second time within the contest — this one on somewhat razzle-dazzle by offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The Lions had swing sort out Dan Skipper within the recreation as an eligible receiver and ended up throwing to him within the left flat for what changed into a 9-yard landing catch to trim the Payments’ result in 21-14. Skipper is the third offensive lineman in franchise historical past to document a receiving landing, becoming a member of Taylor Decker and Scott Conover.
The primary half ended with each place kickers lacking discipline targets within the closing two minutes. Buffalo’s Tyler Bass missed from 24 yards and Detroit’s Jake Bates from 52 yards.
Buffalo opened the second half the identical method they began the sport with a 70-yard scoring drive in simply 4 performs with a Prepare dinner 41-yard landing being the exclamation level. It was Prepare dinner’s second landing run of the sport.
Buffalo made it 35-14 late within the third quarter, making the most of an Amon-Ra St. Brown fumble in Lions’ territory and changing it right into a Khalil Shakir 3-yard landing cross from Allen.
Detroit trimmed the result in 35-21 late within the quarter on a 66-yard Goff to St. Brown landing strike. It was the second longest reception of St. Brown’s profession.
Following a Buffalo discipline objective that prolonged their result in 38-21, Detroit marched down the sector and scored on a 12-yard cross from Goff to working again Jahmyr Gibbs. Following that landing that trimmed the result in 38-28, Lions head coach Dan Campbell tried an onside kick that was caught by Buffalo and returned to Detroit’s 5-yard line. Allen threw a 5-yard landing cross on the following play to push the lead again to 17.
Detroit trimmed it to a 10-point lead once more halfway by the fourth on a 1-yard Gibbs landing run, however Buffalo prolonged the lead once more to 13 with a 41-yard discipline objective proper earlier than the two-minute warning to make it 48-35.
Detroit bought a late 3-yard landing catch by huge receiver Jameson Williams to make it 48-42 with 12 seconds remaining however did not recuperate the onside kick and the Payments ran the clock out from there.
St. Brown completed with 14 receptions for 193 yards and a landing. Tight finish Sam LaPorta had 111 yards on seven receptions for Detroit.