Jared Goff said Thursday that the Detroit Lions’ slow starts on offense cost them in a 41-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The quarterback put the blame on a lack of urgency early in games.
Detroit did not score in the first quarter at Highmark Stadium. Buffalo scored touchdowns on its first three possessions and led 21-0 early in the second quarter.
The Lions’ opening drive went three-and-out and included a sack of Goff. On the second possession, Greg Rousseau sacked Goff on second down, and a bad snap on third down led to a fumble, The Detroit News reported. The drive ended in a punt.
Detroit fell to 1-1.
Goff was asked what had cost the Lions. He pointed to the start.
“I think urgency early on,” Goff said. “I think for the last two games, really, we had some good moments, but I think we need to understand that we need to start good; we need to start on that momentum. Those first two drives put us in a big hole, and we can’t do that.”
The pattern goes back to Week 1. Detroit went three-and-out on its opening possession against the New Orleans Saints and took a 7-0 lead into halftime at Ford Field. The Lions then scored 17 points in the second half and won in overtime.
Thursday followed the same arc. Detroit trailed 27-10 at halftime and outscored Buffalo 21-14 after the break.
With extra days before Week 3, the first quarter is where Goff wants the work to go.
“Finding a way to be very intentional about starting fast,” Goff said. “I think both games we had really good second halves. But being intentional about, ‘Hey, this game starts in the first quarter, and hey, let’s get going.'”
His final numbers were strong. Goff completed 26 of 38 passes for 327 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He fumbled twice and lost one.
Only one of those touchdown passes came before halftime, an 11-yard throw to Jahmyr Gibbs.
Amon-Ra St. Brown finished with 142 receiving yards and two touchdowns. His 2-yard catch in the third quarter was the 48th touchdown of his career, which moved him past Billy Sims for fifth in franchise history.
Buffalo held Gibbs to 52 rushing yards on 16 carries.
Detroit’s defense had a harder night. Josh Allen accounted for five touchdowns. The Bills finished with 34 first downs and converted 9 of 12 third downs.
That came four days after the Lions gave up 24 second-half points to the Saints.
Goff kept his postgame focus on the offense’s opening drives rather than the 41 points Detroit allowed.
He is signed through 2028 on the four-year, $212 million extension he signed in May 2024.
Should the slow starts continue, Detroit will keep leaning on second-half rallies to stay in games. Week 3 also brings a familiar face to Ford Field.
The Lions host the New York Jets and head coach Aaron Glenn, Detroit’s former defensive coordinator, on Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. ET.
