Detroit walked in already down two corners, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Keith Abney II, then lost Avonte Maddox to a foot injury during the game itself, leaving a patchwork secondary with no answer for Allen or a wide-open Palmer running free downfield. Buffalo absorbed its own hit when DJ Moore left with a shoulder injury and didn't return for the second half, a dent that barely registered against a Lions defense that was already reeling.
Dan Campbell said as much himself at halftime, visibly frustrated on the sideline about a defense that had let Buffalo score on 4 of its first 5 possessions: "we gotta quit making some of these costly errors right now," he said, pointing at the penalties piling up alongside the missed assignments. The second half didn't fix either problem fast enough.
Jared Goff answered about as well as a quarterback down 17 at the half can, finishing 26-of-38 for 327 yards and 4 touchdowns, with Jahmyr Gibbs chipping in on the ground and catching a touchdown out of the backfield. Detroit even converted a 4th-and-18 late to keep the fight alive, a play that said more about the Lions' resolve than their actual chances at that point.
None of it was enough to climb out of a 17-point halftime hole against a quarterback who became the first player in NFL history with 5-plus passing touchdowns and 3-plus rushing touchdowns through two games. Allen finished with 248 yards and 3 scores through the air, 69 yards and 2 more on the ground, and Buffalo's new building got exactly the kind of night it was built for.