The Detroit Lions are heading on the road for the first time in the 2026 season, and the assignment is as big as it gets: a Thursday night trip to Highmark Stadium to face the Buffalo Bills in their home opener at the brand-new stadium.
Dan Campbell didn’t exactly downplay the challenge on Monday. He called Buffalo a “really good opponent” and pointed to the pieces that make this matchup so demanding.
“Obviously, really good opponent. I know Joe Brady very well; that’s a heck of a start there,” Campbell said during Monday’s press conference.
“Can’t say enough about this quarterback; he’s a catalyst for them. This is a good O-line, they got weapons, it’s a good back.
This defensive line is their catalyst over there: Ed Oliver and (Greg) Rousseau, man, really good player, length, explosive. They got Chubb on the other end.
Big boy in the middle, it’s an active defense and it’s a big win for them yesterday. We got our hands full.
They’re aggressive on special teams. It’s opening night out at their place Thursday night; it’ll be electric.
You know, it’s going to be a great atmosphere. We’ll be looking forward to that.
Excellent opponent. This will be a big time game here early in the year.”
The Pride of Detroit staff has also weighed in with its Week 2 picks for the Lions.
For the rest of the POD staff’s NFL predictions, including moneyline, spread, and over/under picks, those will be available Sunday morning.
The bigger question now is simple: can the Lions ruin Buffalo’s opening night in the new stadium, or will the Bills use the moment to show why they’re considered one of the AFC favorites?
In Other News...
Jake Bates Just Changed The Lions Conversation In A Big Way
Week 1 brought plenty of strange endings around the league, but none mattered more in Detroit than the way Jake Bates handled his first real test. In a season opener that ended 31-30 in overtime against the Saints, the Lions leaned on their kicker in a game that had to be decided one point at a time, and Bates answered by making all five of his kick attempts while accounting for seven points, including the extra point that finished it.
For a player who came into the season with preseason questions hanging over him, that kind of night changes the tone around the position immediately. The Lions are 1-0, and while the opener did not settle every concern in the building, it gave Detroit a clean look at a kicker who suddenly has a much different place in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Brad Holmes May Have Found A Lions Rookie They Can't Ignore
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For a Lions front that leans on depth and disruption, that kind of debut is exactly the sort of thing that gets attention in the building. Gill-Howard has already sounded comfortable with his role, and with Buffalo next on the schedule, the question now is whether his first real impression turns into something the Lions can keep counting on as the matchups get tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen A. Smith Just Turned One Lions Concern Into A Real Debate
The Lions got the season started with an overtime win over the Saints, but the way they arrived there left plenty of room for national second-guessing. On ESPNs First Take, Stephen A. Smith zeroed in on Detroits defense after the team squandered a 21-point lead, pointing to a performance that still looked too shaky for a club trying to build on last seasons momentum.
Smith had no issue with the offense, which again looked like the kind of unit that can carry a team for long stretches. His concern was whether the defense can clean up enough to keep Detroit in the division hunt and make the playoffs, and it is the sort of question that tends to linger until the Lions prove otherwise. [Read more 🡒]