Buffalo got here proper again, scoring on their third straight possession to open the sport, this time on a 6-yard James Cook dinner landing run.
Trailing by 14, Detroit countered again on their subsequent possession, discovering the top zone for the second time within the contest — this one on slightly razzle-dazzle by offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The Lions had swing deal with Dan Skipper within the sport as an eligible receiver and ended up throwing to him within the left flat for what become 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 last 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 Cook dinner 41-yard landing being the exclamation level. It was Cook dinner’s second landing run of the sport.
Buffalo made it 35-14 late within the third quarter, benefiting from an Amon-Ra St. Brown fumble in Lions’ territory and changing it right into a Khalil Shakir 3-yard landing go 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 aim that prolonged their result in 38-21, Detroit marched down the sector and scored on a 12-yard go 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 go on the subsequent play to push the lead again to 17.
Detroit trimmed it to a 10-point lead once more halfway by means of the fourth on a 1-yard Gibbs landing run, however Buffalo prolonged the lead once more to 13 with a 41-yard discipline aim proper earlier than the two-minute warning to make it 48-35.
Detroit obtained a late 3-yard landing catch by vast receiver Jameson Williams to make it 48-42 with 12 seconds remaining however did not get well 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.