Week 2 of the regular season is kicking off with a high-voltage battle between the Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills. In the previous game, the New Orleans Saints pushed the Lions to their limit at Ford Field, and tonight Jared Goff and co must find a way to handle Josh Allen and the Bills— that too in their new den, Highmark Stadium, which will be unveiled with the Thursday game.
The stakes are high for the big game, but after an unconvincing performance from the Lions’ defense, the Bills will be walking into their new stadium as clear favorites, per ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith.
“Bills Mafia, and as rabid as that fan base is going to be, you are hosting a game in your new stadium with Josh Allen quarterbacking,” said Smith on a recent episode of First Take. “I just think that’s too much for a very suspect Lions defense to overcome. It is simple to me.”
The defense of the Honolulu Blues let a 21-point advantage slip away against the Saints in the last game, raising fresh questions about whether it can hold up against a much better offense led by the former NFL MVP, Josh Allen.
The Detroit Lions defense led by Aidan Hutchinson managed a total of 5 sacks, with the edge rusher logging 2. Despite the impressive tally, it looked fragile throughout the game, particularly in the secondary, as they barely managed to go past the Saints in overtime.
Josh Allen Could Expose The Same Defensive Weakness That Hurt Lions In Week 1
Leaking explosive plays was the main concern in the absence of the star safety duo, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph. Kelvin Sheppard’s defense simply had no answer to Tyler Shough’s long passes, which was a reason he piled up over 400 passing yards and watched the 21-0 lead disappear. The biggest concern was downfield, where the secondary gave away at least six plays of more than 20 yards. A similar defensive lapse would be costly against an elite offense like the Bills.
When an elite QB like Josh Allen sees defense struggling downfield, he will make the most out of it, considering eye-popping numbers in the last game against the Texans when he averaged 13.2 air yards per attempt and threw 5 complete passes over 30 yards.
Another big worry for the defense is the lack of a consistent edge rusher besides Aidan Hutchinson. Without pressure from the opposite side to create a roadblock for Allen, he could easily trouble the secondary from the pocket.
While the Lions’ defense remains a concern, they are also dealing with injuries ahead of the big game.
The Lions Will Be Without Two Offensive Line Starters Tonight
The left guard, Christian Mahogany, is sidelined for the Thursday game after suffering an injury in the first quarter of the Saints game. Moving into Week 2, he will not be the only OL starter to be out.
The rookie first-round pick Blake Miller, who suited up as the right tackle, is also out for the game due to an injury, and the struggling cornerback has bad news, with the veteran D.J. Reed remaining questionable. So, the injuries are another challenge Dan Campbell’s men will have to overcome tonight.
Lions Get Bad News From Stephen A. Smith for Bills Game