(Photo: New York Times) 

Intriguing Game- NFL, Week Two

Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills

Lions (1-0):

Their game on Sunday is exactly why we love this sport! It truly was a tale of two halves. They looked dominant in the first half, and the offense was consistently pushing the ball down the field and picking its spots. Then came the second half, and they looked like such a different football team. They allowed the Saints to climb back into the game and even took it to overtime. They survived with a one-point win. I have no issues with this offense whatsoever, even with a new Offensive Coordinator. The positive in that is they still have the core of that unit, which is Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Jahmyr Gibbs, who makes all of this possible and is the engine of this offense. The Lions have their share of talent in the front seven, but my biggest takeaway from the win over the Saints in Week 1 was how much the secondary was attacked. You expect that with two key pieces in Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list. Those two hold everything together in the back end. I will say their trajectory as a team has fluctuated over the last few years. They ended the 2022 season as one of the hottest teams in the league. In 2023, they won the NFC North for the first time since the divisions were realigned and were a game away from the Super Bowl. In 2024, they won the division again and clinched the top seed in the NFC playoffs. Last season, they didn’t make the playoffs. This is a group that feels they can still compete for the next few seasons. Tonight, the Lions will kick off Week 2 in Orchard Park.

Bills (1-0):

Finally! They got past one of the thorns in their side and defeated a team that had been giving them problems over the last few years in the Houston Texans. I remember when the schedules were released and I saw that matchup on the slate for Week 1. I said to myself, “That has a chance to be the best game of the week,” and it didn’t disappoint on Sunday one bit. I can admit I had my questions about them. It was the start of the Joe Brady era, who was promoted to Head Coach after the organization fired Sean McDermott. How would this team respond to him? They survived. Houston gave them all they could handle, but the Bills made one more play when it mattered. I always have takeaways after many of these games, and I had two after this one. The first was that this was the best I’ve seen Josh Allen look against the Texans. They have always presented a tough challenge for him, but he was locked in and accounted for a total of four touchdowns on the day. My second take is somewhat negative, and that’s the lack of times they fed James Cook the ball. The Running Back only touched the ball 13 times, which is unacceptable. On “The Prime” this past Tuesday, I stated that for James to have an impact, he must touch the ball at least 20 times a game. He can’t offer much to the offense with a limited amount of carries. Once again, if the Bills don’t let James “Cook,” it will be another early postseason exit come January. The Bills return to Orchard Park to open up another week of NFL action tonight.

Lions X-Factor: Jameson Williams

I was a fan of his in college, and in Detroit, he knows his role within this offense, and that’s to create downfield and make an explosive play. Jameson will see his share of single coverage tonight because the Bills will focus primarily on Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs. Plus, you can’t key in on everyone as a defense. My question is, can the Lions get Jameson two or three high-quality opportunities down the field? If they can, this tilts the football game in their favor.

Bills X-Factor: Dalton Kincaid

It appears to me that, year by year, he’s becoming a top target for Josh and another receiver at his disposal. With my background as a defender, and knowing the Bills are on the schedule, the first order of business is to implement a game plan to limit Josh Allen’s mobility. With that being said, the Lions will do all they can to give attention to Josh, which will open up the middle of the field more, and Dalton will have opportunities to make plays. If the Lions’ safeties or linebackers can’t cover him, it could be a long night.

Final Thoughts:

When these two last played, it was in 2024, and it was a shootout in Detroit, with the Bills coming out on top. I also labeled this the game that sealed Josh Allen’s first MVP award. Tonight, they will battle to open up Week 2, and the Bills will open up their brand-new stadium! Here’s my thing about the Lions, especially their defense: If the Saints could score 30 points on them, what makes you think the Bills won’t? One matchup I will be looking forward to watching tonight is Aidan Hutchinson against Dion Dawkins, two of the best at their positions in the trenches. The Lions must stick to their identity and continue to run the ball, keep Jared Goff out of obvious passing situations, give him manageable opportunities, and pressure Josh Allen without giving up explosives. Last week, the Lions blitzed a ton, and against the Bills, Josh will make you pay. He does his best work when the play breaks down. The Bills must feed James Cook at least 20 times in this game for him to make his mark and presence felt, get Dalton Kincaid involved and make Detroit account for him over the middle, and keep Jameson Williams in front of you. If the Bills’ safeties have lapses in communication, it could turn into a big play for Jamo.

Prediction:

Bills 34, Lions 31