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Bills Open New Stadium with Win Over Lions
Confirmed
In Short: The Buffalo Bills inaugurated their new Highmark Stadium with a victory over the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football.
The Buffalo Bills kicked off their new $2.1 billion Highmark Stadium with a 36-31 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football. The game marked the first regular-season game at the new venue, which features a state-of-the-art grass field and enhanced crowd noise capabilities.
Quarterback Josh Allen led the Bills to their win, throwing for 334 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for two scores. Despite the excitement surrounding the new stadium, Allen remained focused on the game, stating, 'The goal’s the goal, and that’s to go 1-0 this week.
Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs had an impressive performance, accumulating 186 yards and two touchdowns. Lions coach Dan Campbell encouraged his players to embrace the atmosphere, calling it a 'christening' and a memorable experience.
The game featured a halftime performance by OneRepublic and was set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. The new stadium, which opened its doors for the first time in a regular-season game, promises to be a challenging environment for visiting teams due to its design.
The Bills' opening game at their new stadium was a stark contrast to their old venue, which had a very different game when it opened in 1973. The new Highmark Stadium, however, looks like an impressive venue for one of the most intense fanbases in all of football.
What's confirmed
- Both teams are coming off victories in Week One, with the Bills defeating the Houston Texans 36-31 and the Lions edging out the New Orleans Saints 31-30 in overtime.
- Lions coach Dan Campbell encouraged his players to embrace the atmosphere of the new stadium, calling it a "christening" and a memorable experience.
- The Buffalo Bills will inaugurate their new Highmark Stadium with a matchup against the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football in Orchard Park.
- The Bills' quarterback, Josh Allen, was instrumental in their win, throwing for 334 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for two more scores.
- Despite the excitement surrounding the new $2.1 billion facility, Allen remains focused on the game, stating, "The goal’s the goal, and that’s to go 1-0 this week." The stadium features a new grass field and a design that amplifies crowd noise, promising a challenging environment for visiting teams.
- Detroit's standout player, Jahmyr Gibbs, had an impressive performance against the Saints, accumulating 186 yards and two touchdowns.
- The game, featuring a halftime performance by OneRepublic, is set to kick off at 8:15 p.m.
What's still developing
- Still, it was a great performance overall for a team that had a capacity crowd stadium roaring.
- Bills odds have Buffalo as 5.5-point favorites, a 2.5-point increase from opening at Buffalo -3.
- Bills picks or 2026 NFL Week 2 predictions, be sure to see what the SportsLine projection model has to say.
- The Bills just allowed Houston to run for 124 yards in Week 1, and Detroit’s offense has plenty of ways to create running lanes for Gibbs.
- Week 2 of the NFL season kicks off with a matchup that could produce plenty of points as the Detroit Lions travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills.
- MORE: Bold predictions for Week 2 of 2026 NFL season This is a massive total, but the Week 1 performances from both offenses provide plenty of reason to expect another high-scoring game.
- The Lions also have enough offensive firepower to keep pace.
- The 26-year-old Canadian was held without a touchdown in 2025, but he actually started strong as well before injuries marred much of his first campaign with the Bills.