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.