Free Press reporter Christian Romo breaks down the Detroit Lions' Thursday night matchup against the Buffalo Bills and gives his prediction.
Detroit Lions (1-0) at Buffalo Bills (1-0)
The coaches: Lions − Dan Campbell (54-43-1 overall, 49-36-1 with Lions); Bills − Joe Brady (1-0 overall).
Last game: Lions beat the Saints, 31-30 (OT); Bills beat the Houston Texans, 36-31.
Last meeting: Dec. 15, 2024: Lions lost 48-42
.Key matchups
Bills RB James Cook vs Lions front seven
Bills running back James Cook, the NFL’s leading rusher in 2025, had a slow start in Week 1, picking up 57 yards over 13 carries in Buffalo’s win over the Texans. Cook only had five games in 2025 where he put up less yardage on the ground, and one of those was in Week 18 as the playoff-bound Bills cruised to a blowout of the lowly New York Jets.
Then again, slow starts may just
be Cook’s thing. He had a similar 44 yards on 13 carries (3.4 yards per carry) in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens in 2025, 71 yards on 19 carries (3.7 yards per carry) in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals in 2024 and 46 yards on 12 carries (3.8 yards per carry) in Week 1 against the Jets in 2023. He ended up a Pro Bowl pick in all three seasons.
So while it would be wise to think Cook will play a big factor against the Lions, it would also be wise to think Detroit will be well-prepared for Cook.
The Lions’ front seven is looking like one of the team’s biggest strengths after an inconsistent 2025, with defensive tackle Tyleik Williams getting three tackles for just the second time in his career and Alim McNeill finally looking healthy and wrecking the interior. If they can repeat their success stopping Saints running back Travis Etienne against Cook, they can turn the Bills offense one-dimensional and give their own offense a chance to outscore Buffalo.
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Lions offensive tackles vs Bills DE Greg Rousseau
The Lions tied for first in the NFL with five sacks in Week 1 while the Bills recorded three, but Buffalo had just as many quarterback hits (nine) as the Lions did, with edge rusher Greg Rousseau a big reason why.
Rousseau had four tackles, two sacks and five quarterback hits against the Texans in Week 1, including the strip-sack fumble on Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud late in the fourth quarter that sealed the game for Buffalo. He is long (6 feet 6), crafty and a problem for any teams not prepared for his pass rush.
“This defensive line is their catalyst over there,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said in a Monday press conference. “Rousseau, really good player. Length, explosive … this is an active defense.”
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That’s going to be a problem if rookie right tackle Blake Miller is out. He and left tackle Penei Sewell looked like natural fits in their respective positions against New Orleans, though they also benefitted from not having Saints star Cam Jordan rushing in their direction. But if Miller can’t play – he was listed on Monday's injury report – the Lions are going to have to see what offseason signing Larry Borom can offer – and with the pass protection issues running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and Sione Vaki showed in Week 1, Miller’s absence might be a secondary concern up front.
Scouting report
Lions offense vs Bills defense
Gibbs recorded a career-high in rushing attempts (29) against the Saints in Week 1, and even if he gets fewer attempts against the Bills, don’t expect that number to fall by that much.
“I just told him, ‘Make sure to drink your Gatorade,’” Dan Campbell said.
The Bills were 28th in rushing defense in 2025 and don’t look to have improved that much in 2026, allowing 114 rushing yards to a still-unimpressive Texans offense (including a game-high 60 yards to former Lion David Montgomery). Mix in a calf injury for Buffalo’s Week 1 leading tackler, Terrel Bernard (who was limited in practice on Monday), and you have a recipe for a rush-happy offense.
That’ll be important for an offensive line still finding its stride. Center Cade Mays will be out, and left guard Christian Mahogany likely will be, as well. That likely means the Lions will lean on Gibbs making plays wherever he gets the ball rather than protect quarterback Jared Goff for more than, say, 30 pass attempts.
When Goff throws, he’s going to want to get it out quickly, with tried-and-true routes up the middle to receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and tight end Sam LaPorta leading the way. And when things break down, finding Gibbs in the flat is a pretty solid backup plan.
- Edge: Lions.
Lions defense vs Bills offense
How have we gotten this far without mentioning Bills quarterback Josh Allen?
Here’s his scouting report: he’s really good at football. And now he has some receiving help that will make him even tougher to stop.
New acquisition D.J. Moore picked up 100 yards on five catches with a touchdown in Week 1, and he wasn’t Buffalo’s leading receiver on Sunday. That was tight end Dalton Kincaid, who also caught five passes for a career-high 130 yards – all against a Texans defense that allowed the fewest yards in the NFL in 2025.
So, let’s keep this simple. If the Lions can neutralize Cook and the Buffalo rushing attack, they can probably live with a receiver getting at least 100 yards like Saints wideout Chris Olave (186 yards) did on Sunday. But if Cook heats up and Moore finds space for Allen to throw to, it’ll be a long night for Detroit’s defense.
- Edge: Bills.
Christian Romo's prediction
The Lions should thank the schedule makers for having them visit Buffalo in mid-September instead of late-November (our non-frozen extremities are certainly thankful). But on the other hand, they might have some words for having a Thursday night road game in Week 2, with not nearly enough time for the Lions to fix what ailed them in Week 1.
Then again, the Bills are in a similar boat, travelling 1,500 miles with only three days in between games after squeaking out a Week 1 win on a last-minute defensive stand. The Bills should still have the advantage, especially with them opening up a shiny new home field, but the tired football could show on both sides, at least.
On a short week, this game will come down to adjustments, both pregame and in-game. And even though the Bills have a future Hall of Fame quarterback on their side, they also have a rookie coach in Joe Brady who might be overmatched compared to what Campbell and the rest of the Detroit coaching staff can fix by Thursday. The Lions win a close game. The pick: Lions 28, Bills 27.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions vs Bills scouting report, prediction for Thursday Night Football
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