Bills at Lions Recap
The Buffalo Bills knocked off the Detroit Lions 48-42, ending their 11-game winning streak. Buffalo never trailed in the game, with scores on their first three drives before heading into halftime up 21-14 after a pair of missed field goals by Tyler Bass and Jake Bates.
The second half saw two punts and 55 combined points scored. The Bills capitalized on a fumble that allowed them to stretch their lead to 35-14 and a little breathing room. Jared Goff did his best to bring the Lions back to within a score, but Detroit could not capitalize on two onside kick attempts in the fourth quarter. Goff finished the game with 494 passing yards and 5 touchdowns. This was the most passing yards an opposing quarterback had against a Sean McDermott coached team since his first season when Jameis Winston had 384 in week 7, 2017.
Josh Allen continued his red-hot December with a third straight game with at least four total touchdowns, no sacks, and no turnovers. Allen has 1,027 total yards and 14 touchdowns over those games.
Bills at Lions Sunday, December 15, 2024
Preview Hits and Misses
I introduced this section in last week’s game recap and enjoyed it. This week I had more hits than misses and feel my matchup of the game was why the Bills pulled out the victory. I was wrong on who I thought would win and not very close on my score prediction. Lets revisit the preview below.
Hits
Josh Allen had another monster game for the Bills. He didn’t eclipse 400 yards passing but did have 430 total yards to go along with his 4 total touchdowns. The Bills running game had a much better performance than I anticipated in my preview, lowering the need for Allen to throw it. Keon Coleman only had one catch in his return, but it was a big one, a 64-yard bomb during a Josh Allen scramble drill. This led to a first and goal at the Lions ' three-yard line after a penalty was tacked on. Khalil Shakir led all receivers with 6 receptions and hauled in a nifty shovel pass for a red zone touchdown score that gave the Bills a three-score lead in the second half.
Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown had career games on Sunday. St. Brown set career highs in yards and receptions, with 193 and 14. His only blemish on the day was the fumble in the second half. This was Goff’s second-highest passing yard total, sixth-career 400+ passing yard game, and the second time he had thrown five touchdowns in a game. He had a big game even though the Bills defense was able to pressure him and
My matchup of the game was stopping the Detroit Lions’ rushing attack. The Bills held the dynamic duo to 35 yards on 13 carries and the team to 48 yards. This was the first time Detroit failed to eclipse 100 yards on the ground all season. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery were factors in the passing game. They finished the game with 9 receptions for 114 yards with Gibbs scoring a touchdown. Overall, Buffalo’s defense did a good job of bottling them up.
Misses
Kerby Joseph finished the game with 8 tackles and the 4th ranked player in coverage for the Lions. Josh Allen did a good job protecting the ball and making safe throws that prevented the opportunity for an interception.
I chose Detroit to win a close game, 31-30. I am happy to be wrong. Buffalo controlled the play from the start, and even in the end, they had a handle on things when the score got close. It was a great win to keep the #1 seed chances alive.
5 Things I Liked
Joe Brady - Brady called the best game of the season, in my opinion. Defensively, Detroit did not have an answer to the point of attempting an onside kick with 12 minutes to go in the game. Nine players had at least one catch. All three running backs were involved in the passing and running game. Reggie Gilliam was utilized on twelve snaps and made a difference in the running game. Buffalo finished the game with 28 total first downs and 559 yards, at 8.2 yards per play.
Battle of the Trenches Won - The Bills offensive line gave up 0 sacks for a fourth straight game. The defensive line had three sacks after being shut out for the first time all season last week vs the Rams. Ed Oliver and Greg Rousseau led the way with a combined 19 pressures to go with a sack each. DaQuan Jones and Von Miller had strong games as well. A great performance against one of the best offensive lines in the NFL
MVP Performance - Josh Allen finished the game with 430 total yards, 4 total TDs, and completed 7 passes for 20+ yards to 5 players. The 362 passing yards is a season-high, and third time this year, Allen has eclipsed the 300-yard mark. He is now the first player in NFL history to have multiple passing TDs, multiple rush TDs, 350+ passing yards, and 60+ rushing yards in the same game, the first to have 2+ passing TDs and 2+ rushing TDs in consecutive games, and the first player all-time with three such games in a season.
Backfield Weapons - James Cook, Ray Davis, and Ty Johnson played key roles in the offensive outburst on Sunday. The trio combined for 285 yards from scrimmage, with Cook eclipsing the century mark on the ground (105) and Johnson in the air (114). Cook had two rushing touchdowns, while Davis and Johnson finished the game with a receiving touchdown each. Cook is now tied for the lead amongst running backs in the NFL with 13 rushing touchdowns on the season and is four touchdowns away from the all-time Buffalo Bills record.
Overcoming Adversity - Tyler Bass missed a chip shot field goal and came back to make his next two attempts. The Bills started the game with three defensive starters out. Cole Bishop, Kaiir Elam, and Cam Lewis all filled in admirably in the secondary. Per PFF, Elam finished the game with the best coverage grade for the Bills, and Bishop was graded as the second-best tackler. Great experience to gain against an offense like Detroit’s.
5 3 Things I Didn’t Like
Missed Tackles - Watching the game, I felt like there were a lot of broken/missed tackles. According to PFF, the defense missed 12 tackles. These were primarily from the linebacker position, along with Cam Lewis. This is something that hasn’t been a concern until the bye week. In Weeks 1-11, the Bills averaged 7.6 missed tackles a game, with 11 being the highest in 2 games. Buffalo is averaging 12.3 per game since the bye. Maybe it's the improved competition, and I am looking too far into this, but it is turning into a trend that wasn’t there early in the season.
Injuries - Cole Bishop, Matt Milano, Curtis Samuel, and Dorian Williams all exited the game with injuries at some point. They are considered minor, but roster health becomes a primary concern towards the end of the season during the playoff push. Unfortunately, Detroit appears to have lost four players for the season in this game. Alim McNeill and David Montgomery suffered season-ending knee injuries. Cornerback Khalil Dorsey sustained an ankle injury that required surgery after the game, and Carlton Davis broke his jaw and is out indefinitely. I know injuries are a part of the game, but it sucks seeing this many players go out in one game.
Wide Right - I am unsure how the chip shot field goal was missed. Bass finished the game perfect on his PATs and made his other field goal attempts, a 50 and 41-yarder, which proved to be the difference in the game. The frustrating part is that it’s hard to be confident in Bass with the inconsistencies in the kicking game. I hope these moments will help him when his number is called in the playoffs or the game is on the line again.
Critical Plays From the Game
With 55 seconds remaining in the first half, the Lions were marching down the field and had first and ten from the Bills 34-yard line. They wouldn’t get any closer than this. On second and ten, Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown for what looked like a first down play, but Taron Johnson ripped the ball away to lead to a third and ten. A third straight incompletion by Goff led to a 52-yard field goal attempt that went wide left. Johnson's pass breakup saved at least 3 points right before halftime.
Down 28-14 early in the third quarter, Detroit began their second drive of the half from their own four-yard line. After two quick first downs, Detroit appeared to have the makings of a long drive started. An 18-yard reception from Goff to St. Brown had the Lions near midfield, but Taron Johnson stripped the ball out of St. Brown’s hands as he dragged him to the ground. Matt Milano recovered the fumble and a 15-yard penalty on the Lions to get the ball at the Detroit 26-yard line. Five plays later, the Bills were up 35-14.
Stat(s) of the Game
BillsBanter Group Chat Quote of the Game
“Guy could shank one from 3 yards, wtf. Bring back Carpenter. I’ll bring the tape”
