Both teams are chasing away bad taste from how last season ended. The Lions opened 7-4 before losing 4 of their final 6 and finishing 9-8, missing the playoffs and landing last in the NFC North for the first time. The Bills' season ended in the divisional round against Denver, a loss that cost Sean McDermott his job and put Brady in charge. Neither team wants a repeat, and a Week 2 measuring-stick game against a fellow contender is exactly the kind of test that tells you something early.
Detroit's skill talent is still the headline act regardless of who's calling plays — Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams give Goff as much firepower as anyone in the league, and Dan Campbell has already anointed Gibbs the team's 'bellcow' back for 2026. Buffalo counters with Allen's dual-threat chaos and a backfield led by James Cook, last year's rushing champ, with Ty Johnson and Ray Davis rounding out a deep room.
Sam LaPorta is trending toward clearing camp after a back issue, and Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are both question marks for Detroit's secondary depth as camp opens. Buffalo's mostly clean, with cornerback Dorian Strong the notable name still working back from a neck injury. For a Week 2 game this far out, the health boxes matter less than the direction each team is trending — and right now both look like they're building toward September, not scrambling to be ready for it.