Buffalo Bills vs Detroit Lions match player stats tells you exactly how a December shootout at Ford Field became a quarterback clinic and a box-score anomaly. Buffalo beat Detroit 48–42 in Week 15 of the 2024 season, and because there has been no newer Bills–Lions meeting since, these numbers remain the latest authoritative head-to-head reference. This is the clean, complete breakdown of who did what, why it mattered, and which player metrics still shape Bills–Lions today.
Quarterbacks defined the night. Josh Allen authored a dual-threat masterclass—23-of-34, 362 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, plus 11 rushes for 68 yards and 2 TD—punishing soft edges on scrambles and second-window throws. Jared Goff matched the spectacle in volume, posting 38-of-59 for 494 yards and 5 TD without a pick, a stat line that kept the game within one score until late. For verification and full context, consult the ESPN box score and the wire recap noting the combined 1,080 total yards.
Backfields finished drives. James Cook was the quiet spine of Buffalo’s win with 14 carries for 105 yards and 2 TD, including a 41-yard burst that flipped leverage on early downs. Allen’s keepers added two more scores in short yardage. For Detroit, Jahmyr Gibbs turned limited carries into chain-moving touches and grabbed a red-zone receiving TD as a motion mismatch. The raw rushing split—Bills 197 yards to the Lions’ 48—raised the pressure on Detroit to chase with volume.
Receivers bent coverage. Amon-Ra St. Brown carved up intermediate windows with 14 receptions, 193 yards and a 66-yard TD on third-and-17. Sam LaPorta punctured the seams for 7 catches and 111 yards. Jameson Williams added a red-zone score, and tackle-eligible Dan Skipper slipped out for a short touchdown near the pylon. Buffalo spread the wealth: Ty Johnson emerged as an explosives leader at 5 catches for 114 yards off wheel and leak concepts, Khalil Shakir worked pivots and unders for a 6-39-1 line, Dalton Kincaid tallied 4-53, Dawson Knox added 2-42, and Keon Coleman uncorked a 64-yard shot that stretched the shell.
The pace tilted on decisions and short fields. Buffalo stormed ahead 14–0 on its first two possessions, forcing Detroit to chase and compressing their play-calling bandwidth. Detroit’s counterpunches were real—Skipper’s goal-line catch, St. Brown’s 66-yard YAC strike, and a late Williams TD—but the fulcrum was a fourth-quarter onside-kick gamble with 12 minutes left, down 10. Mack Hollins returned it 38 yards to the 5, and the Bills scored on the next snap, flipping a one-score sweat into a two-possession cushion. The decision tree, with clips in the official NFL highlights.
Pass rush vs protection told the rest. The Detroit Lions finished with zero sacks, a number that let Allen live in off-schedule creation. Buffalo, by contrast, generated consistent heat and was credited with three sacks, enough to tilt third downs and slow Detroit’s shot timing. Even so, Goff’s anticipation and protection calls allowed the Lions to stack volume late—how 59 attempts became 494 yards without a turnover.
Box score leaders at a glance
- Buffalo QB — Josh Allen: 23/34, 362 yards, 2 TD; 11 rush, 68 yards, 2 TD
- Buffalo RB — James Cook: 14 rush, 105 yards, 2 TD; receiving 28 yards
- Buffalo WR/RB — Ty Johnson: 5 receptions, 114 yards
- Detroit QB — Jared Goff: 38/59, 494 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT
- Detroit WR — Amon-Ra St. Brown: 14 receptions, 193 yards, 1 TD
- Detroit TE — Sam LaPorta: 7 receptions, 111 yards
Hidden math and situational edges
Buffalo’s first- and second-down efficiency framed the night. With early-down success skewed by quarterback keepers and Cook explosives, the Bills avoided third-and-long. Detroit’s middle-field voids versus scramble rules turned into repeated chunk gains on snags and leak wheels, which is how Ty Johnson surfaced as a game-breaker despite a modest target share. In the red zone, Allen’s dual-threat gravity forced light boxes or single-coverage on rubs. Either answer favored Buffalo.
Where Detroit still won
Volume passing. Detroit’s route tree layered well against match coverages, and Goff’s timing held even when Buffalo disguised post-snap. The Lions squeezed maximum YAC with St. Brown and Gibbs repeatedly winning in space. The same timing advantage showed up in Washington Commanders vs Detroit Lions match player stats, where Detroit leaned on rhythm throws to erase negative plays.
What the latest matchup means now
Because no newer Bills–Lions meeting has been played, this game remains the freshest search reference for buffalo bills vs detroit lions match player stats. It’s also a template for how these rosters tilt games with elite quarterbacking and spacing. If you’re scouting tendencies for the next chapter, circle three notes:
- Allen’s scramble rules force Detroit to plaster longer and spin a safety late. Buffalo hunts leak wheels and delay routes when the pocket breaks.
- Detroit’s middle-field targets to St. Brown and LaPorta stress zone handoffs. If Buffalo shows static two-high, expect RPO slants and glance routes to reappear.
- James Cook’s explosives must be treated as primary, not constraint. His 41-yard score here flipped a quarter and changed the play-calling menu.
Bottom line: Buffalo hit 48 because early downs were efficient, explosives arrived on command, and special teams delivered a crucial short field. Detroit’s passing fireworks were real and repeatable, but field position and red-zone certainty separated the Bills. Until they meet again, this stands as the definitive Buffalo Bills vs Detroit Lions match player stats snapshot.
