DETROIT — Josh Allen ran for two scores in the first quarter and threw two touchdown passes in the second half, leading the Buffalo Bills to a 48-42 victory Sunday that snapped the Detroit Lions’ franchise-record 11-game winning streak.
The AFC East-champion Bills (11-3) have won eight of nine, taking advantage of Allen’s ability to make plays with his right arm and legs.
Allen was 23 of 34 for a season-high 362 yards with touchdown passes to Khalil Shakir and Ray Davis. The dual-threat quarterback ran 11 times for 68 yards and two scores a week after being the first NFL player to throw and run for three touchdowns in a regular-season game.
He extended a league record by throwing for multiple touchdowns and rushing for more than one score in six straight games.
Jared Goff matched a career high by throwing five touchdown passes for the NFC North-leading Lions (12-2), whose loss gives Minnesota a chance to pull into a tie for the division lead with a win against the Bears on Monday night at home.
Buffalo extended its franchise record with 30-plus points in its eighth straight game — becoming the first team since the 2013 Denver Broncos to pull off the feat — and scored the most points against Detroit this season.
Coming off a 44-42 setback against the Los Angeles Rams, the Bills were not as effective on defense.
Goff’s fifth TD pass came with 12 seconds left when he connected with Jameson Williams from 3 yards with 12 seconds left, but the Lions couldn’t recover the onside kick to set up a game-ending Hail Mary try.
The Bills joined the 1966 New York Giants as the only teams in NFL history to score 40-plus points and give up at least 40 points in consecutive games.
Allen’s dazzling talents were the difference in a potential Super Bowl preview.
He threw a 33-yard pass to Ty Johnson on his second snap and converted a third down with another throw to the former Lions running back, picking up another 24 yards, after rolling right and showing patience before passing to set up a 1-yard sneak.
On the first snap of the next drive, Allen started in the shotgun and moved up in the pocket, backed up, rolled left and threw to his right on a 28-yard pass to running back James Cook. He ran untouched on a 4-yard touchdown run around the right side to give the Bills a 14-0 lead.
Detroit answered, pulling within a touchdown on Goff’s 12-yard pass to Tim Patrick, but it couldn’t slow the Bills when they had the ball.
Buffalo coach Sean McDermott chose to go for it on fourth-and-2 from his 49 on the ensuing possession and Allen found Johnson wide open for a 31-yard catch to set up James Cook’s 6-yard touchdown run to restore a two-touchdown lead midway through the second quarter.
Lions coach Dan Campbell was aggressive as usual on the next drive, keeping the offense on the field with a fourth-and-4 from the Bills 46. Goff validated the decision with a 21-yard pass to Amon-Ra. St. Brown.
Goff threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Dan Skipper five plays later, pulling off a trick play with a throw to an offensive lineman who reported in as eligible to pull within a touchdown.
Just when it looked as though the Lions might get routed in the second half, Goff converted a third-and-17 with a 66-yard touchdown pass to St. Brown.
The Bills, though, kept scoring.
Injuries
Bills: WR Curtis Samuel (shoulder), LBs Dorian Williams (elbow), LB Matt Milano (groin) and OT Spencer Brown (head) were hurt during the game.
Lions: DB Khalil Dorsey (leg) was placed on a backboard and carted off the field late in the first half. … CB Carlton Davis (knee) was also hurt in the second quarter. … DT Alim McNeill (knee) left in the third quarter and didn’t return.
Up next
Bills: Host New England on Sunday.
Lions: Play the Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday.