The Buffalo Bills will have their first regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium on Thursday.
Buffalo will host the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football in Week 2. The Bills are coming off a 36-31 road win over the Houston Texans in Week 1.
The Bills are 4.5-point favorites to defeat the Lions in Week 2.
Joe Brady Sends a Message to Buffalo Bills
The Bills will get to play in front of their fans on Thursday against Detroit.
Ahead of Buffalo’s home opener, head coach Joe Brady sent a message to Bills Mafia and is eager to see how loud the new stadium is.
“The city of Buffalo, it’s a night that they deserve,” Brady said. “It’s going to be an outstanding environment. It’s where we want to be; we want to play under the lights, and we wanna do all that. So let’s embrace it. And now it’s an opportunity for us to show kind of our conviction in what we believe in.”
Although Brady is expecting a rowdy crowd, he just wants the team to treat it as any other game.
“The environment is going to be outstanding. We can allow the environment to change, but we can’t [change,]” Brady said. “… I hope that we approach Thursday as it’s the most important game of the season because it’s the next one. If we make it about more than it is, then I’m not doing a good enough job, and usually that’s not going to end with the right result.”
The Bills are already off to a hot start in their new era and are looking to continue that success in Week 2 against the Lions.
Buffalo Ready for Home Opener
Although Brady wants the players to treat the home opener as just another game, they are eager to play in front of Bills Mafia.
Marquee free agent signing Bradley Chubb has experienced how loud Bills Mafia is when he played for the Miami Dolphins, so he’s expecting a crazy crowd.
“It’s gonna be electric,” Chubb said. “I’m excited to get in front of Bills Mafia. We got a taste of it in the preseason a little bit, but when the lights are bright Thursday night, everybody’s watching at home, and that stadium right there is gonna be rocking.”
Spencer Brown echoed those words as he’s just excited to play in front of the fans again.
“I want to play into it a little bit,” Brown said of the energy he expects in the crowd. “I think it’s going to help the level of play a little bit, especially on defense. Hopefully everyone’s super quiet offense-wise. But on defense, I’m probably right there with them, getting everybody hyped up. I’m going to enjoy it for sure. It only happens once, so go out there and enjoy it.”
Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET.
Joe Brady Sends Message to Bills Mafia Ahead of Lions Week 2 Game