The Detroit Lions entered Week 2 with enormous expectations, but the Buffalo Bills quickly exposed several problems. Detroit fell 41-31 despite mounting a spirited second-half comeback against Josh Allen and company.

The Lions trailed 27-10 at halftime and faced a massive uphill battle. Dan Campbell’s team fought back after the break, but Buffalo ultimately held on to hand Detroit its first loss of the season.

The defeat has raised concerns around a Lions team expected to compete for the Super Bowl. However, Colin Cowherd believes fans should not overreact to what happened in Buffalo.

“Lions fans, just take a deep breath. At halftime you should've gone in, packed your bags, and headed to the airport. This was not a winnable game. You're missing both safeties against Josh Allen? You're missing eventually three offensive lineman? They're debuting a new stadium. You're on a short week, having to go on the road and you played in full overtime. Like...you were toast before the anthem.”

Cowherd pointed toward Detroit’s lengthy list of disadvantages before kickoff. The Lions entered a difficult road environment on a short week while dealing with major injuries across their roster.

That context makes the loss particularly understandable in Cowherd’s view. Detroit still fought back and showed enough resilience to make Buffalo work for the victory.

Dan Campbell Admits the Lions Must Run the Ball Better

Campbell offered a blunt assessment after the defeat. The Lions head coach acknowledged that Detroit must become more efficient running the football, especially with the talent in its backfield.

Detroit also struggled with costly mistakes throughout the game. Campbell had already criticized the penalties at halftime, calling the small errors a major reason the Lions found themselves chasing Buffalo.

Now, Detroit must turn those lessons into improvements. The Lions face plenty of questions after their first loss, but Campbell believes his team can grow from the experience.

Written by

Joseph Nithin