Overview
Thanksgiving Showdown: Bills vs Lions Clash on Turkey Day
Teams on different ends of the spectrum square off when the Buffalo Bills take on the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving afternoon.
The Buffalo Bills stumbled a bit in recent weeks with losses to the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets back-to-back. After starting the year 6-1, it was an unwelcome sight for this team to drop two heartbreakers.
The Bills still lead the AFC East and are still favorites to win the Super Bowl, but they are less convincing than they were a few weeks ago.
On the other hand, the Detroit Lions are playing the best football we’ve seen from them in years. They are on a three-game heater. Dan Campbell has his guys ready for anything, and an outright win over Buffalo is not out of the question.
Can Jared Goff prove the doubters wrong again, or will Josh Allen lead Buffalo to a much-needed second consecutive win?
Bills’ Defense Shaky at Best
Buffalo is losing games not because of its lack of scoring but rather mounting issues on defense.
Buffalo allowed the Vikings to score 33 points and net almost 500 yards against them two weeks back. The Bills managed to bounce back and win Week 11 against the Browns but still allowed 396 yards in total offense while racking up 89 yards in penalties.
It wasn’t the ground game that was the issue for Buffalo, as Kareem Hunt had just 32 yards on five carries.
But the Bills’ secondary was torched by Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples*Jones, and Jacoby Brissett. Yes, they are a talented bunch, but not something a Super Bowl hopeful should struggle with.
The Lions are not that impressive in the air, but Amon-Ra St. Brown and Josh Reynolds can do much damage if left alone in the secondary.
Lions Look to Keep Winning
Someone, or something, lit a fire under the Detroit Lions following their 31-27 loss to the Dolphins in Week 8.
After starting the season 1-6, the Lions beat Green Bay, Chicago, and the New York Giants in consecutive weeks. Now, riding a three-game heater, they try to keep the train rolling in against Buffalo.
Things last week in New York couldn’t have gone better for Detroit. Jared Goff was not a significant factor, with 165 yards and no touchdowns. But he didn’t make any mistakes and went 17-for-26.
Justin Jackson and Jamaal Williams took center stage in the victory with a combined 130 yards rushing. Williams added three rushing touchdowns to seal the win for Detroit.
The Lions’ defense allowed a ton of yards (413) to New York but also forced two key interceptions and a fumble. Detroit held the Giants to just 5-for-13 on third down and won the time-of-possession battle.
This week, the Lions’ defense has much more to deal with. The Bills’ offense is one of the best in the NFL, with Josh Allen under center and Stefon Diggs making magic downfield. Allen is nearing 3,000 yards, while Diggs is already over 1,000 receiving with plenty of games left.
Buffalo vs Detroit Prediction
The Lions are playing some of the best football we’ve seen from them in quite some time. But, they set a low bar, to begin with.
Three wins in a row are nice, but the Bills are an elite team that should have no problems putting Detroit in its place.
