DETROIT -- From the very first drive Sunday, the biggest problem for the Detroit Lions was obvious: They had no way to contain Josh Allen. On third down, on the Bills' initial possession, Allen put his MVP candidacy on full display, escaping to his right, stopping about a foot inside the boundary, waiting, directing, extending and then slinging the ball nearly sidearm across his body to Ty Johnson for 24 yards.
It's the kind of play that belongs on the Allen highlight reel. And more than any other moment from the Bills' 48-42 victory Sunday -- more than the pass Amon-Ra St. Brown could not reel in as the Lions were driving late in the second quarter, more than Dan Campbell's decision to try to steal a possession with an onside kick with 12 minutes remaining -- it encapsulated why the Bills have completed, in the space of one month, the two most impressive victories of the season, over each conference's top seeds. Allen and the Bills offense are playing at a level they had previously not reached, and they are doing it against the very teams they will have to overcome if they are finally to win a Super Bowl.
The Bills practice the scramble drill, like all teams. Head coach Sean McDermott said this is the best he has seen Allen play and he, like everyone else, is marveling at the off-schedule plays, like when Allen escaped to his right, pulled free of an attempted ankle tackle, and heaved a rope to Keon Coleman for 64 yards.
"That, and blacking out, a little bit of both," McDermott said of his response to those plays. "He's incredible. He's not doing that if the offensive line is not doing their job. It takes a real unselfish approach, week after week, to get that type of performance."
It's worth remembering, because it's easy to forget now, that this was supposed to be a bridge year for the Bills, with the departure of so many veterans and the transition to younger players, and a nearly completely made over receivers room -- one without star Stefon Diggs. Instead, Diggs' departure has seemed to liberate Allen from having to concentrate on feeding the ball to the Pro Bowl wideout, bringing more balance to the offense. On Sunday, nine players caught passes. The Bills rolled up 197 yards rushing. Allen said players have bought in. They were up 14-0 after their first two possessions, forcing the Lions to play from behind throughout the game. They had a 21-point lead in the third quarter. They punted just once. In a game against the NFL's top offense, the Bills knew they would have to score and keep scoring. That the Lions' defense is decimated by injuries certainly helped the Bills -- Detroit did not have a sack, and rarely even got in Allen's face -- but the Bills have also developed a mindset, which became especially acute after the 44-42 loss to the Rams last week.
"The mindset we had this week was win every play, whatever the play was, find a way to execute at the highest level," said Allen, who was 23-of-34 passing for 362 yards and two touchdowns, with 68 rushing yards and two rushing scores. "This is going to help us in the long run. Too many plays we left out there. To nitpick a game like that sounds kind of dumb. But I still felt like we left some out there."
This has been the story for nearly every Bills opponent this season, but Allen's dominance was especially noticeable Sunday, against a team that has been the best in the NFC all season. But the attrition on the Lions defense -- which saw defensive lineman Alim McNeill (knee) and cornerbacks Carlton Davis (jaw) and Khalil Dorsey (ankle) exit Sunday’s game -- caught up with them. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has been able to work magic in recent weeks with a patchwork roster, and that has allowed the Lions to keep winning against most teams, even those, like the Green Bay Packers, who are likely to be in the playoff field, too.
The Bills, though, represented a step up in opponent class, and the Lions defense looked weary, unable to get a stop when it needed one, outmanned and outgunned, the Bills having picked apart the middle of the defense all night. Campbell's decision to try an onside kick with 12 minutes remaining and the Lions trailing by just 10 points, was a nod to the harrowing reality the Lions were facing: They couldn't stop the Bills on most possessions, so they had to try to steal one. It backfired -- Mack Hollins returned the onside kick to the 5-yard line, and the Bills scored on the next play to take a 17-point lead -- but you can appreciate Campbell's thinking. He has been delightfully aggressive as a head coach and most of the time -- as it did early in the season against the Cowboys -- it beats opponents into submission. It is a testament to the Bills that this time the Lions' aggressiveness was a signal of desperation, not domination.
And now the Lions, who had not lost since Week 2, are in a dogfight -- to hold on to the NFC North against the Vikings, to hold on to the NFC’s top seed against the Eagles. The loss means they almost certainly won't get the chance to rest players before the playoffs start. The Bills remain two games behind the Chiefs in the AFC standings, although Patrick Mahomes' ankle injury, with games Saturday and on Christmas Day, means the Chiefs might not be able to coast to the first-round bye.
When the Bills beat the Chiefs last month, they were careful not to celebrate too much. They know they have to beat them in January, too. On Sunday, the victory was so complete on the road and so welcome after the narrow loss to the Rams, that the Bills seemed more at ease. More of the season is gone, more has already been proved, the playoffs are close. McDermott talked about the Bills' attitude and focus this week, and he mused about how resilient the Bills have been over the years, and how much they are like the city of Buffalo and the fans themselves. McDermott said the Bills have to learn to close out games better. But those are the details championship-caliber teams can afford to focus on as the regular season winds down.
"It's not easy, winning in the NFL," McDermott said. "When you're talking about today's game and some of those other games, you're talking about rare air up there with the best teams that are around right now."
That was no blackout McDermott experienced. The Bills are one of those teams, too.
