Bills QB throws three TDs and rushes for two.
Josh Allen quickly put his stamp on the Buffalo Bills’ new stadium, which has been dubbed “The House that Allen built.”
Allen threw three touchdown passes and ran for two scores, and the Bills beat the Detroit Lions 41-31 on Thursday night in the first regular-season game at Highmark Stadium.
Allen followed the pregame fireworks celebration with more of his own by overseeing touchdown drives on each of Buffalo’s first four possessions.
Tight ends Dalton Kincaid, with a 16-yard catch, and Dawson Knox, with a one-yarder, also scored for Buffalo in the first half.
Allen finished the night 20 of 31 for 248 yards, and added 72 yards rushing.
Allen’s two rushing TDs upped his career total to 83, moving him into a tie for 18th on the NFL list with Jim Taylor.
After rallying from a 21-0 deficit to cut Buffalo’s lead to 34-24, the Lions offense stalled midway through the fourth quarter. Backed up at their own 10, the Lions went three-and-out and were forced to punt after Goff had two passes tipped by Deone Walker, and Gibbs was stopped for no gain.
The Lions’ defense got off to a start, allowing the Bills to score 27 points and gain 299 yards in the first half alone. The struggles carried over from a season-opening 31-30 overtime win over New Orleans, in which the Saints rallied from a 21-0 first-half deficit and lost only after their two-point conversion failed in overtime.
The $2.1bn Highmark Stadium that officially opened last month was built across the street from the Bills’ former home.