NFL: The Bills squeak out a road win over the Lions as Goff makes his Detroit debut
Detroit, Michigan - The Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills played in their first preseason game Friday night, as a quarterback from out west made his first appearance with his new team.
Jared Goff (26) was at the helm for the first time as a Detroit Lion, but his team lost a close one to the Bills 16-15 at home.
Goff was traded from Los Angeles to Detroit in a blockbuster deal this past off season that had him taking the place of former Lions’ franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford, who’s now making a go of it with the Rams. Goff only played in the first quarter, finishing 7-for-9 passing for 56 yards, but not before a shaky start that included getting sacked during his opening drive.
There wasn’t much offensive firepower from the Lions quarterbacks in this one, as their kicker Randy Bullock accounted for more than half of their point total with three field goals.
Running back Craig Reynolds was able to run for a 24-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, keeping Detroit in the game.
The Bills bring it home with their reserves
The Bills, on the other hand, fielded almost all of their reserves and players looking for a regular season spot for this game.
To keep all the best players out of harm's way in a meaningless game – including one of the highest-paid players in the NFL in Josh Allen – proved a sensible move.
Instead, Bills reserve quarterback Davis Webb made the most of his opportunity by throwing for 90 yards on 11-for-16 passing along with 26 yards rushing – taking a page out of Allen’s playbook.
Running back Devin Singletary got into the mix with a touchdown off of a six-yard pass from Webb in the second quarter.
Quarterback Jake Fromm also played well, going 8-for-13 and 65 yards, which included leading the Bills down the field to a game-winning Tyler Bass field goal for the win.
Both teams are back for more preseason football on August 21, as the Bills visit the Bears, and the Lions go to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers.
Cover photo: IMAGO / NurPhoto