JOSH ALLEN DELIVERED another barnstorming performance with two rushing touchdowns as the Buffalo Bills handed the Detroit Lions only their second defeat of the season with a 48-42 NFL victory at Ford Field on Sunday.
The blockbuster clash between the two high-scoring potential Super Bowl contenders did not disappoint, with Bills quarterback Allen once again underscoring his credentials as the front-runner for this season’s Most Valuable Player award.
Allen, who rushed for three touchdowns and threw three more in Buffalo’s defeat to the Los Angeles Rams last week, was in commanding form with 362 passing yards from 23-of-34 attempts.
Bills running back James Cook also played a key role with two touchdowns and 105 rushing yards, which included one 41-yard sprint to the end zone in the second half.
Although Buffalo were always in control after racing into an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter, Detroit’s offense kept the Lions in touch, with quarterback Jared Goff throwing five touchdowns and 494 passing yards in a game that saw the two teams combine for nearly 1,100 yards of offense.
The Bills improved to 11-3 with the win, while Detroit fell to 12-2, to leave the Lions tied in the NFC with the Philadelphia Eagles, who defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-13 on Sunday.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 290 yards with two touchdowns and rushed for one more to set up the Philadelphia win.
Elsewhere, the Houston Texans clinched the AFC South after a 20-12 win over the Miami Dolphins was followed by the Indianapolis Colts’ 31-13 defeat on the road game against the Denver Broncos.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, meanwhile, boosted their hopes of winning the NFC South with an emphatic 40-17 rout of the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in California.
Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield threw four touchdowns and finished with 288 passing yards in a win that lifted the 2021 Super Bowl champions to 8-6.
In Seattle, the Green Bay Packers snapped the host Seahawks’ four-game win streak with a 30-13 triumph as Jordan Love threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns and Josh Jacobs ran for 94 yards and a touchdown.
The Seahawks suffered an injury setback when quarterback Geno Smith was sidelined in the third quarter by a knee injury.
For context, the Lions lost their two starting corners very early on and were already so short handed with injuries that the Bills scored every time they got the ball. Depending on who they get back fit, this wasn’t necessarily a good indicator of what a Bills Lions Superbowl would look like.