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NFL Week 15 Recap: Buffalo Bills 48, Detroit Lions 42
2YXDAY4 Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) passes against the Detroit Lions in the first half of an NFL football game in Detroit, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)
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Buffalo Bills
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Detroit Lions
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills dominated the Detroit Lions in Week 15, running roughshod against the Lions defense in a 48-42 shootout.
Buffalo’s offense was unstoppable, racking up 559 total yards and averaging 0.517 EPA per play. The Lions offense did its best to keep pace, but slow starts in both halves gave the Bills the cushion they needed.
Jared Goff threw for nearly 500 yards and five touchdowns, including a surprising touchdown pass to offensive lineman Dan Skipper. However, despite the high-scoring effort, Detroit couldn’t close the gap.
With the loss, the Lions fall to 12-2, and the NFC’s top seed is now shared with the Philadelphia Eagles, who won their game against the Steelers. Detroit still holds the tiebreaker due to a better conference record, but their path to securing the No. 1 seed has become more challenging.
PFF’s dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at noon ET.
In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.
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HIGHEST-GRADED PLAYERS
Note: Follow along with PFF’s in-game grading as our analysts evaluate every player on every play in real time! Grades will then be relocked 90 minutes after the final whistle as our first-run analysis is reviewed.
Click here to see PFF’s initial grades from this game!
PLAYER OF THE GAME
The Lions had no answers for Josh Allen, who completed 23 of his 34 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns while adding 68 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground.
The Bills quarterback was clinical throwing downfield, completing 9-of-15 passes for 270 yards on throws of 10 or more yards. Josh Allen recorded five big-time throws and no turnover-worthy plays in one of his best performances of the season — a season already filled with standout moments.
ADVANCED BOX SCORE
| Bills | Lions | |
| Total points | 48 | 42 |
| Total offensive plays | 68 | 77 |
| Average EPA per play | 0.517 | 0.28 |
| Total net yards | 554 | 506 |
| Avg yards per play | 8.2 | 6.6 |
| Total first downs | 26 | 30 |
| Rushing first downs | 10 | 2 |
| Passing first downs | 15 | 28 |
| Penalty first downs | 1 | 0 |
| Third-down efficiency | 50% | 46% |
| Fourth-down efficiency | 20% | 43% |
| Possessions | 12 | 11 |
| Avg plays per drive | 6.7 | 7.8 |
| Avg yards per drive | 42.6 | 42.2 |
| Avg points per drive | 3.7 | 3.5 |
| Red-zone possessions | 7 | 5 |
| Red-zone plays | 21 | 16 |
| Red-zone TDs | 5 | 5 |
| Red-zone FGs | 0 | 0 |
| Red-zone scoring efficiency | 71% | 100% |
