A historic night for Josh Allen: 5 touchdowns in the new Bills stadium opener

Josh Allen led the Buffalo Bills to a 41-31 victory over the Detroit Lions in the game that opened the new Highmark Stadium, scoring five touchdowns — three passing and two rushing — and setting the stadium’s first historic mark with a one-yard run in the first quarter. He was emotional before kickoff, speaking about how special he feels to be the quarterback of an NFL franchise.

As reported by the NFL, Allen finished the game 20-of-31 for 248 yards and three passing touchdowns, adding 14 rushes for 69 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He opened the contest with a drive that ended in that one-yard run, making him the author of the first touchdown in Highmark Stadium history. In a historical context, a similar instance of a rushing touchdown in a team’s main stadium opener was previously recorded by Kordell Stewart in 2001 at Heinz Field.

Buffalo dominated offensively: 446 total yards, including 203 rushing yards, and 34 first downs. James Cook contributed 135 yards and a touchdown behind a ground attack, while the team converted 9 of 12 third-down attempts. Detroit blitzed on 55.3% of Allen’s dropbacks — one of the highest rates against him in the past five seasons — but Allen was efficient against that pressure: 12-of-17 for 137 yards and two passing touchdowns, plus two scrambles for 10 yards and another touchdown in those scenarios.

Coach Joe Brady praised the ball control the team achieved as setting the tone for the game, while the linemen and other attackers were mentioned as important factors in the offensive success. Josh Palmer highlighted the depth of the offensive unit, stressing that every position is dangerous for opponents. According to the NFL, the win demonstrated a complete team performance and a repeat of the Bills’ offensive strength.