Detroit Lions head into Thursday Night Football with a genuine problem on its hands, Josh Allen just proved the Texans' vaunted defense couldn't slow him down, and the Lions' own unit hasn't looked much sturdier through one week.
Josh Allen Torched a Top-Tier Defense
Houston entered Week 1 with real defensive credibility, but Allen picked the unit apart on the road in a building where he'd never previously won. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns, adding 23 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground in Buffalo's 36-31 win. That combined 357-yard, four-touchdown outing marked the ninth game of Allen's career with multiple passing and multiple rushing touchdowns, extending his own NFL record for that feat.
The performance included two 96-yard touchdown drives, a first in franchise history, evidence that Buffalo could sustain long, methodical possessions just as easily as it could strike quickly. For a Texans defense many expected to keep the game low-scoring, surrendering 36 points and 381 total yards was a significant red flag.
Detroit's Defense Has Its Own Questions
The Lions should be nervous watching that tape, because their own defense was gashed even worse in Week 1. Detroit needed overtime to escape New Orleans, and along the way gave up 410 passing yards and three touchdowns to Saints quarterback Tyler Shough. A unit that couldn't contain Shough now has to find a way to slow down a quarterback who just posted the best all-around game of Week 1.
Tyler Shough was making some INSANE throws in his sophomore year debut.
Shough currently leads the NFL in passing yards (410) and completions (35).
The Saints QB showing FLASHES of Josh Allen (Bills QB) on a couple instances ð³ð¿ pic.twitter.com/Y4sySmZzeF
â Rookie Watch (@RookieWatxh) September 15, 2026
Buffalo's offense also showed it can beat opponents multiple ways. Dalton Kincaid became a focal point in the passing game, hauling in five of six targets for 130 yards, while James Cook and the ground game remain a constant threat underneath Allen's dual-threat production. That versatility gives Detroit's defense very little to key on heading into Thursday night. Buffalo's defense wasn't flawless either, allowing 31 points of its own, but the Bills' ability to answer nearly every Houston score kept the Texans from ever building separation.
A Shootout Looks Inevitable
The betting market has already priced in an offensive explosion. The over/under for Thursday's game sits at 53.5 points, the highest total of the young season, with Buffalo favored by 4 points. Detroit's own game totaled 61 points in Week 1, while Buffalo's reached 67, and neither defense looked especially dominant in the opener.
History backs up the shootout expectation. The last time these two teams met, Buffalo won 48-42, with Allen throwing for 362 yards and two touchdowns while adding 68 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground. James Cook ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns in that same game. With both offenses humming and both defenses shaky through one week, there's little reason to expect Thursday night to look any different.
Detroit's issue isn't a lack of talent, it's a matchup problem. Allen is playing with the kind of dual-threat efficiency that has already produced an NFL record-tying feat this season, and the Lions have shown zero evidence through one game that they can contain that combination. Buffalo's brand-new Highmark Stadium should be rocking for its first regular-season test, and if Week 1 form holds, the Lions could be in for exactly the kind of long night the numbers are already predicting.