The buildup was already in place for Thursday night’s NFL game between the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills. The game was set to take place at the Bills’ new Highmark Stadium, giving fans another reason to make the night special. Also, the fans spent hours tailgating before kickoff. They found added energy when Hall of Famer Bruce Smith joined them in a “Let’s Go, Buffalo” chant. And there were a few more reasons for Bills fans to get fired up.

Both teams entered Thursday night at 1-0 after dramatic Week 1 wins. Buffalo beat Houston 36-31 on Josh Allen’s late 34-yard touchdown pass to Josh Palmer, while Detroit survived New Orleans 31-30 in overtime after squandering a 21-point lead. The Lions escaped with the victory, but their defensive collapse against the Saints had already raised concerns ahead of the trip to Buffalo.

Just before the game, DraftKings reminded fans in an X post that the Lions’ last win against the Bills in Buffalo came in 1991, while their most recent victory over the same opponent came in 2006. Furthermore, during the pregame show, Stephen A. Smith predicted that the Bills would win. Those storylines were enough to get the home crowd excited before kickoff. And a few hours later, the scoreboard read Bills 41, Lions 31.

However, the game came with plenty of interesting moments. From the Lions’ questionable defense to a few unexpected injuries, the night had several twists and turns. Here are some of the biggest storylines.

The debate around the national anthem 

As mentioned, the stage was set at the new Highmark Stadium. But few could have expected the Bills to play both the Canadian and U.S. national anthems before the game.

The playing of “O Canada” became a major storyline during the Bills’ home opener at the new Highmark Stadium. Iconic Scarborough-born rock band Barenaked Ladies performed “O Canada” on the field, followed by Auliʻi Cravalho, the voice of Disney’s Moana, singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Meanwhile, Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer, a Brampton, Ontario, native, was visibly moved on the sideline and wiped away tears as the anthem echoed through the stadium. That naturally raised a question: Why was the Canadian national anthem played before the game?

The Bills play less than two hours from Southern Ontario, and Canadian supporters account for roughly 12% to 18% of season-ticket holders and seat licenses at the new stadium. Franchise executives described the performance as a formal gesture of appreciation for their large fanbase from north of the border.

Playing both national anthems was unprecedented for an NFL game hosted on U.S. soil. It has been standard practice for Buffalo’s other major sports teams, including the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, since the 1970s. Still, Thursday night’s decision sparked debate among some fans.

After the game, OutKick’s Jon Root posted on X: “Singing the Canadian National Anthem at the Buffalo Bills home opener was a mistake… There’s ZERO reason to honor a foreign country when a Canadian team is not involved in this game whatsoever. This was an idiotic decision.” 

Some Bills fans also voiced their displeasure with the Canadian anthem being played before an NFL game. 

Detroit Lions’ poor defense 

While Stephen A. Smith predicted the Buffalo Bills’ victory in Thursday night’s game, he also called the Detroit Lions’ defense “very suspect.” Was he right, though?

The Lions allowed Buffalo to score touchdowns on each of its first four possessions, with the Bills taking a 27-10 lead into halftime. Buffalo gained 299 yards in the opening half, while James Cook rushed for 101 yards on 11 carries. Dawson Knox added a 1-yard touchdown reception, and Dalton Kincaid caught a 16-yard score, though a missed extra point after Kincaid’s touchdown kept Buffalo at 27 points.

Furthermore, key defensive penalties extended Buffalo’s early drives. A holding penalty directly negated an interception by Skyler Gill-Howard that would have stopped a Buffalo scoring drive. Those shortcomings allowed QB Josh Allen to have a field day. He finished with 248 passing yards and five total touchdowns, including three through the air and two on the ground.

Buffalo’s defense added to Detroit’s rough start. Greg Rousseau sacked Jared Goff twice in the first quarter, including a strip-sack that Detroit tight end Brock Wright recovered. On the Lions’ next possession, Goff had to fall on a high snap on third down, forcing another punt and keeping Detroit scoreless early.

He finished with 248 passing yards and five total touchdowns, including three through the air and two on the ground.

James Cook ran for 135 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, helping Buffalo finish with 203 rushing yards. His 1-yard scoring run with 2:50 remaining pushed the Bills’ lead to 41-24 and effectively put the game away. Buffalo finished with 203 rushing yards as a team.

Lastly, Lions HC Dan Campbell and the team’s defensive players pointed to communication breakdowns in the secondary after the game. One clear example came when two defenders converged on a receiver in the flat, leaving wide receiver Josh Palmer wide open for a 43-yard touchdown catch.

After watching all of this unfold, two-time Super Bowl champion Damien Woody said on CBS, “Nobody’s coming to save you.”

They made a late push after falling behind 21-0, cutting Buffalo’s lead to 34-24 early in the fourth quarter on Jared Goff’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta. But the comeback stalled on the Lions’ next possession. Pinned at their own 10-yard line, Detroit went three-and-out after Deone Walker tipped two Goff passes and Jahmyr Gibbs was stopped for no gain. Buffalo then answered with James Cook’s 1-yard touchdown run to restore a three-score lead.

Detroit’s offense still produced despite the loss. Jared Goff completed 26 of 38 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns, while Amon-Ra St. Brown caught nine passes for 142 yards and two scores. Jahmyr Gibbs added 52 rushing yards and an 11-yard receiving touchdown, while Sam LaPorta caught six passes for 52 yards and a score. The Lions generated enough offense to stay in contention, but their defensive struggles and early 21-point deficit proved too costly.

However, there were a few injuries during the game, and some of them had a major impact on the Lions’ defense.

The injuries affected the teams

The Bills’ offensive coordinator, Pete Carmichael, had nothing but good things to say about DJ Moore. But yesterday, the WR suffered what was probably the most significant injury of the night.

Late in the second quarter, Moore reached for a touchdown pass in the end zone before landing hard on his left shoulder as a defender crashed over him. He was evaluated on the sideline and taken for X-rays and imaging for a shoulder injury and stinger. Moore was eventually ruled out for the rest of the game. Bills DT Ed Oliver suffered a similar fate.

Oliver experienced a sudden hip/groin tweak during pregame warmups. He was pulled just before kickoff and officially ruled out as a late inactive. On the other hand, Lions DB Avonte Maddox left the game in the second quarter after taking a hard hit in the end zone. He exited with a foot injury and did not return. 

Josh Allen’s day out

We have already mentioned how Josh Allen performed yesterday. He completed 20 of 31 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 69 rushing yards and two scores on 14 carries. The performance marked his fourth career game with at least three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns, the most by any player in NFL history.

Not only that, on Thursday, Allen scored the first regular-season touchdown at the brand-new venue on a 1-yard run, capping an opening 85-yard drive.

Yesterday, more than 60,000 fans inside the stadium chanted Allen’s name, and the moment clearly made him emotional.

During the postgame press conference, the QB said, “I’m just very fortunate that I ended up here in Buffalo and got to be the first quarterback to open this stadium, which is, you know, a special spot.” 

Not to forget, yesterday’s victory also made Joe Brady the first head coach in Bills franchise history to start his tenure 2-0.

Buffalo will return to Highmark Stadium on September 27 to face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3. Detroit will also be back at home that day, hosting the New York Jets at Ford Field. Both games are scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on FOX.

That is all for now. If you want to know more about the game, please let us know.