The NFL will release the full 2026 schedule Thursday night, but they are releasing certain marquee matchups ahead of time and one of those is Detroit's Week 2 game.
The Lions will travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills and MVP quarterback Josh Allen in brand new Highmark Stadium on a national stage Week 2 on Thursday Night Football (Amazon Prime Video) Sept. 17.
The last time these two teams squared off was an epic back-and-forth battle at Ford Field Dec. 15, 2024 where the Bills defeated Detroit, 48-42. It was one of only two regular season games the Lions lost that season on way to a 15-2 record and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
In that December matchup, Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw for 494 yards and five touchdowns and Allen countered with 362 passing yards and four total touchdowns.
Buffalo is coming off a 12-5 season in 2025 in which they lost to Denver (33-30 in OT) in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. They have a new first-year head coach in Joe Brady, 36, who was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach in January. The Lions were 9-8 and missed the playoffs. They are looking to get back to being one of the top teams in the NFC.
This will be a critical early-season test for two teams with Super Bowl aspirations in 2026.
