Allen’s five TDs open Highmark: Bills beat Lions 41–31 on TNF.

The Buffalo Bills beat the Detroit Lions 41–31 on Thursday Night Football, 17 September, in the first regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, ESPN, NBC Sports, CBS Sports, and BuffaloBills.com reported. Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes — 43 yards to Josh Palmer, 1 to Dawson Knox, 16 to Dalton Kincaid — and ran for two scores, accounting for five touchdowns with 248 passing yards and 69 rushing yards on the locked NBC/club/CBS box lines. Buffalo led 27–10 at halftime. James Cook finished with 135 rushing yards (CBS Sports / NBC Sports); BuffaloBills.com’s 101 was first-half only. Jared Goff threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns; Amon-Ra St. Brown had nine catches for 142 yards and two scores. Bills 2–0; Lions 1–1.

Allen scored the first regular-season touchdown in the stadium on a 1-yard run 5:51 into the opening quarter after early scrambles, then found Palmer for the 43-yard score on a blitz, Knox from a yard off play-action, and Kincaid from 16 as Buffalo scored touchdowns on its first four possessions, ESPN and the club said. Cook put the game away with a 1-yard TD run with 2:50 left on the NBC/CBS frame. Allen finished 20 of 31 for 248 yards on 14 carries for the rush total; Cook had 21 carries for 135. Kincaid caught seven passes for 95 yards on the NBC and club lines. Palmer has two catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns this season after the game-winning score at Houston in Week 1, NBC said. Buffalo outgained Detroit 446 to 355, went 5-for-5 in the red zone and 9-of-12 on third down, and punted only twice, those cards reported.

Greg Rousseau recorded two sacks — both in the first 13 minutes — and a forced fumble; Bradley Chubb added a sack, NBC and the club said. Goff was 26 of 38 for 327 and four scores after a slow start that included a 21–0 hole; he reached 40,000 career passing yards in his 153rd game on the NBC frame. St. Brown was targeted 13 times. Jahmyr Gibbs had 16 carries for 52 yards and six catches for 61 and a touchdown. The Lions twice pulled within 10 when the game was still in reach; Detroit’s last touchdown, St. Brown’s second, came with 1:42 left before Buffalo recovered the onside kick, NBC said. Joe Brady became the first Bills head coach to start 2–0, the club noted.

Named actors locked to the wires: Allen (5 TDs — 3 pass / 2 rush; 248 pass, 69 rush); Cook (135 rush game, 1-yard TD late); Palmer (43 TD); Knox (1 TD); Kincaid (16 TD, 7/95); Goff (327/4 TD); St. Brown (9/142/2); Gibbs; Rousseau (2 sacks); Chubb. Soft stamps held without choosing: Cook rushing 135 game total on CBS Sports and NBC Sports; the club’s 101 was first-half only — do not print 101 as the game total. Allen rushing 69 (NBC, club, CBS box) is held against AP/ESPN soft lines that printed 72. Some AP box text lines also softed Cook at 134; CBS box and NBC hold 135. Venue is styled Highmark Stadium across ESPN, the club, and NBC as the first regular-season game there.

The checkable record is 41–31 at Highmark Stadium, Allen’s five-TD night, Cook’s 135, the 27–10 half, Goff’s 327/4 and St. Brown’s 9/142/2, Bills 2–0 and Lions 1–1. The desk does not invent AFC East seeding beyond the published 2–0 start.

What comes next is checkable: Bills vs Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, 27 September, at 1 p.m. ET at Highmark Stadium on the BuffaloBills.com “next up” line; published AFC standings with Buffalo at 2–0; Thursday’s box on ESPN/NBC/CBS/club.

Floor: Bills 41–31 Lions TNF at Highmark (first regular-season); Allen 5 TDs (3 pass/2 rush), 248 pass, 69 rush; Cook 135 rush game (CBS/NBC; club 101 1H only); Palmer 43, Knox 1, Kincaid 16; led 27–10 half; Goff 327/4; St. Brown 9/142/2; BUF 2–0 DET 1–1.