Six Winners, Three Losers From Buffalo Bills Week 2 Win Over Lions

Here's who stood out as winners and losers for the Buffalo Bills as they defeated the Detroit Lions in Week 2.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III runs against the Detroit Lions during the second half at New Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Joe Brady is undefeated as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills.

Buffalo had a short week following their win in Houston as they hosted the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football. The atmosphere was excellent as fans enjoyed the first regular-season game at New Highmark Stadium, and the players fed off their energy, jumping out to an early lead.

Detroit fought back, which is often the case when playing a good team, but the Bills still won 41-31. With this game in the books, let's take a look at who stood out as both winners and losers for Buffalo in their second game of the year.

Winner: Joshua Palmer, Wide Receiver

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer runs to score a touchdown during the first half against the Detroit Lions at New Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In Week 1, Joshua Palmer was the hero who hauled in a 34-yard touchdown pass, which proved to be the game-winner. That was his first and only reception of the game, but it was a huge one. In Week 2, he made sure his second catch was just as impressive as Palmer got free for a 43-yard touchdown reception on third-and-11 to give the Bills a 14-0 lead.

Palmer had a frustrating first season in Buffalo, the first in his career in which he failed to record a touchdown. He's made up for that quickly in 2026, making it seem almost laughable that he was considered to be on the bubble throughout the offseason.

Winner: Keon Coleman, Wide Receiver

Buffalo Bills WR Keon Coleman celebrates a first down against the Detroit Lions during the first half at Highmark Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

With DJ Moore suffering an injury in the first half, the Bills needed Keon Coleman to step up and that's exactly what he did. Coleman didn't have any explosive plays, but he recorded 63 yards on six receptions. Coleman caught every pass thrown his way, which should give him a much-needed confidence boost going forward.

Loser: Sam Franklin, Jr., Safety

Buffalo Bills safety Sam Franklin Jr. high-fives fans while exiting the field after the game against the Houston Texans. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sam Franklin was signed to a three-year extension this offseason due to his special teams prowess, but over the past two weeks, he has had his share of issues. Franklin had a costly penalty on a return in Week 1, which negated a big return by Ray Davis. On Thursday, he started out with another mistake as Franklin was called for a hold on the opening kickoff.

That wiped out a 27-yard return by Greg Dortch, which would have put the ball on the Detroit 26. Instead, the Bills started at the 15-yard line thanks to the penalty.

Winner: Greg Rousseau, Outside linebacker

Buffalo Bills linebacker Greg Rousseau reacts during the first half against the Detroit Lions at New Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Greg Rousseau was a star in Week 1 with two strip-sacks and was again all over the place this week. Rousseau had two sacks and a forced fumble in the first quarter, setting the tone for a dominant Buffalo defense. He has adapted well to the new scheme run by Jim Leonhard and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Loser: Landon Jackson, Defensive End

Buffalo Bills defensive end Landon Jackson during warm-ups before the Bills preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Buffalo was protecting a 27-7 lead as the first half closed out, and the Lions were on the edge of field goal range at the 33-yard line. With six seconds to go, they decided to run with Jahmyr Gibbs to make it a more manageable attempt. Gibbs gained seven yards, but the Lions were awarded another 13 yards when Landon Jackson was called for tripping. Detroit would have likely still made the 44-yard field goal, but Jackson's penalty made it a much easier attempt at 31 yards.

Winner: James Cook, Running Back

Buffalo Bills RB James Cook finds an opening during the Bills' home opener game against the Detroit Lions. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Not many running backs can reel off more than 100 yards and get very little attention, but that was the case for James Cook III. The veteran running back who led the NFL in rushing yardage last season recorded 135 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown. He wasn't getting the attention that Josh Allen did, but Cook just continued to move the chains with his legs, something that's easy to take for granted since he makes it look so easy.

Loser: Davison Igbinosun, Cornerback

Buffalo Bills cornerback Davison Igbinosun reacts after a play during the game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

During his tenure at Ohio State, Davison Igbinosun had issues with penalties and that's carried over to the beginning of his rookie season. He had a holding penalty in Week 1 and added another during the fourth quarter against Detroit. This time, he was beaten on a route by Jameson Williams on a fourth-down play and was caught getting too physical. That gave the Lions five yards and a first down, allowing them to score on a touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta to make it a 34-24 game with just under 11 minutes to play.

Winner: Deone Walker, Defensive Tackle

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Deone Walker looks on after a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Buffalo's offense had to punt the ball away near the midway point in the fourth quarter, which could have swung the momentum in favor of Detroit. That didn't happen since the defense forced a three-and-out in just 49 seconds. The credit for that goes to Deone Walker, who batted down a pass on first down as well as on third down, giving the ball right back to his offense. Walker didn't win the game for his team, but that drive sealed it.

Winner: Josh Allen, Quarterback

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen runs to score a touchdown against the Detroit Lions. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's only fitting that Josh Allen scored the first touchdown in the history of New Highmark Stadium. Following a penalty from Sam Franklin, Allen and the offense started from their own 15, but that was no problem for Allen. He led the Bills on a 10-play, 85-yard drive that saw him throw for 22 yards and run for another 40. Allen capped that drive off with a one-yard touchdown, making it a 7-0 lead for Buffalo.

Allen kept his foot on the gas from there, scoring four total touchdowns in the first half, marking the fourth time he's done so in his career. He finished with 248 yards passing and 72 yards rushing with five total touchdowns, which doesn't surprise anyone given his track record.

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