Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions, week 15 second half open thread

The Buffalo Bills lead the Detroit Lions 21-14 at halftime. There were plenty of fireworks in the first 30 minutes and the Bills quickly jumped out to a 14-point lead. The Lions finally got going and tried to keep up with Josh Allen’s rapid scoring pace.

The fact that Buffalo is leading at halftime is encouraging. Not only did they properly execute the flip deferral, but they were also able to overcome some absolutely terrible officiating. There were at least two egregious no-calls against the Lions defense early in the game. The first instance occurred during the Bills’ first drive, when there was no call for as blatant defensive pass interference as you’ll ever see. The second was a nasty helmet-to-helmet blow that Allen caught on his chin as he slipped after a scramble.

Then of course there was the false start penalty that never should have been given to left tackle Dion Dawkins. He was completely within his rights to do what he did to notify Connor McGovern. If this is some of the best the NFL has to offer as officials, they need to take a fresh look at the situation.

The Bills were in prime position to execute the famous football double dip, but they rushed the effort by rushing down the field with a 68-yard throw to rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman. Unfortunately, the offense stalled at the goal line due to a series of erratic plays (and the aforementioned terrible false start). Instead of another touchdown, Tyler Bass tried to score three points. The shot sailed to the right and an important scoring opportunity was missed.

The Bills’ biggest miss in the first half wasn’t Bass’ miss. It was offensive coordinator Joe Brady who made the pass on 3rd & goal from the one-yard line. The Shnowplow was made for moments like this, and Allen already had two rushing scores on the day.

After Bass’ misstep, the Lions marched right down the field until Buffalo’s defense stiffened and forced a field goal attempt. In solidarity with Bass, the Lions missed their attempt.

It’s another week and another tremendous performance from QB17. At halftime, Josh Allen is 14 of 19 for 254 yards; There were also three rushes for 18 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Ty Johnson made a fantastic impression, catching all four passes for 95 yards.

What’s impressive is that Buffalo’s defense stopped Detroit’s run. In total, the Lions had 11 carries for 41 yards.

Here’s your open thread for the rest of today’s game. As always, be kind to one another – and in all things… Go Bills!