Buffalo Bills Win First Regular-Season Game at Highmark Stadium Against Detroit Lions

<p>The Buffalo Bills hosted their first regular-season game at Highmark Stadium on September 17, 2026, defeating the Detroit Lions 41-31. Quarterback Josh Allen led the team with three touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns, contributing to a 27-10 halftime lead.</p><p>This marked Allen's fourth career game with five touchdowns, following a previous performance where he threw two touchdown passes and ran for two in a 36-31 win against the Houston Texans. The new $2.1 billion stadium opened last month, located across the street from the Bills' former home.</p><p>In the game, Allen directed touchdown drives on the first four possessions. Running back James Cook rushed for 134 yards and scored a touchdown in the final minutes. Allen's rushing touchdowns increased his career total to 83, tying him for 18th on the NFL list with Jim Taylor, and he achieved his 90th regular-season victory, joining a select group of quarterbacks to reach this milestone in their first nine seasons.</p><p>The Lions faced challenges with an injury-depleted defense and an offensive line struggling to protect quarterback Jared Goff and support running back Jahmyr Gibbs. After trailing 21-0, the Lions managed to narrow the gap to 34-24 but stalled in the fourth quarter, leading to a three-and-out on their final possession.</p><p>Goff completed 26 of 38 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns, with Amon-Ra St. Brown catching nine passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Gibbs scored on an 11-yard reception but was limited to 52 rushing yards, while Sam LaPorta added a 1-yard touchdown reception.</p><p>Highmark Stadium features design elements to withstand Buffalo's weather, including underground heating coils to prevent the natural grass field from freezing and a snow-melt system activated by roof sensors. The stadium can accommodate 60,108 fans, which is about 10,000 fewer than the previous venue.</p><p><i>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</i></p>