ORCHARD PARK, NY (9-17-26) – The Detroit Lions showed they could move the football, score points and fight their way back into a game Thursday night in Buffalo.

What they couldn’t do was erase the opportunities they let slip away.

Detroit fell to the Buffalo Bills 41–31 at Highmark Stadium, dropping to 1–1 after a night in which missed opportunities on both sides of the football repeatedly kept the Lions from taking control.

The biggest problem came early.

Buffalo scored touchdowns on each of its first four possessions, putting Detroit into a 27–7 hole before the Lions could establish any consistent rhythm. Against quarterback Josh Allen (#17) and one of the NFL’s most dangerous offenses, that proved too much to overcome.

Detroit quarterback Jared Goff (#16) eventually found his rhythm and put together an impressive statistical night. Goff completed 26 of 38 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns without an interception.

But much of that production came with Detroit playing from behind.

The Lions managed only 66 rushing yards after running for 165 yards in their season-opening victory over New Orleans. Jahmyr Gibbs (#0) carried 16 times for 52 yards, and Detroit’s inability to consistently establish the ground game made the offense increasingly dependent on Goff’s arm.

Still, there were opportunities.

Goff connected with Gibbs for an 11-yard touchdown in the second quarter, and Jake Bates (#39) added a 31-yard field goal as Detroit went into halftime trailing 27–10.

The Lions came out of the locker room showing some of the fight Detroit fans have come to expect.

Goff directed an 11-play drive and found Amon-Ra St. Brown (#14) for a two-yard touchdown, cutting Buffalo’s advantage to 27–17.

St. Brown was outstanding, finishing with nine receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns. His first touchdown was the 48th of his career, moving him past Lions great Billy Sims for fifth place on Detroit’s all-time touchdown list.

But every time Detroit threatened, Buffalo answered.

That was the story of the night.

Sam LaPorta (#87) caught a one-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to again bring Detroit within 10 points, 34–24. The Lions needed a defensive stop to give Goff and the offense an opportunity to make it a one-score game.

It never came.

Buffalo eventually added another touchdown, and although St. Brown caught a 27-yard scoring pass late in the fourth quarter, the Lions had simply run out of opportunities.

The Defensive Opportunity That Disappeared

Perhaps no play better represented Detroit’s frustrating evening than what appeared momentarily to be a game-changing turnover.

With Buffalo already leading 14–0, Allen tried to force a pass into the end zone. Roger McCreary (#21) deflected the football, and rookie defensive lineman Skyler Gill-Howard (#92) came down with what appeared to be an interception at Detroit’s 5-yard line.

For a moment, Detroit had the turnover it desperately needed.

Then came the flag.

Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (#23) was called for defensive holding, wiping away the interception and giving Buffalo a first down.

Three plays later, Allen threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Dawson Knox (#88).

Instead of Detroit’s offense taking possession with an opportunity to cut into a 14-point deficit, Buffalo led 21–0.

It was that kind of night for the Lions.

Defense Couldn’t Get Off the Field

Detroit’s defensive struggles went far beyond one penalty.

Buffalo accumulated 446 yards of offense, including 203 on the ground, and recorded 34 first downs. The Bills punted only twice.

Allen completed 20 of 31 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns while adding another 69 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.

Detroit did manage to get pressure at times. Aidan Hutchinson (#97) and Derrick Barnes (#55) each recorded sacks, but the Lions couldn’t consistently turn pressure into stops.

Explosive plays and breakdowns in the secondary were particularly costly. Detroit’s defense has now surrendered 71 points through its first two games, including 30 in the overtime victory against New Orleans.

For a team with postseason expectations, that is an area that will demand attention.

Plenty of Fight, But Too Large a Hole

There were positives.

Goff didn’t turn the football over. St. Brown looked every bit like one of the league’s premier receivers. Detroit scored touchdowns on four sustained drives and continued fighting even after falling behind by three scores.

But against Buffalo, effort wasn’t the issue.

Execution was.

The Lions couldn’t establish their running game. The defense couldn’t consistently get off the field. A potentially game-changing interception disappeared because of a penalty. And when Detroit’s offense finally created opportunities to make the game close, the defense couldn’t produce the stop necessary to complete the comeback.

Those are the missed opportunities that separate winning from losing against an opponent like Buffalo.

Detroit now gets some extra time to correct them.

The Lions return to Ford Field on Sunday, Sept. 27, when they host the New York Jets at 1 p.m. The game gives Detroit an opportunity to respond — and, perhaps more importantly, demonstrate that the mistakes that cost them in Buffalo can be corrected.