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The Detroit Lions will attempt to beat Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night without two starters from an already depleted offensive line. That is not an ideal way to begin a short-week road trip.
Detroit ruled out starting left guard Christian Mahogany because of a hip injury and rookie starting right tackle Blake Miller because of a knee injury for Thursday Night Football. Cornerback D.J. Reed is questionable with a foot injury. Buffalo has injury questions of its own, but no Bills player was ruled out on the final report. Running back Ty Johnson, safety Cole Bishop and defensive lineman T.J. Sanders are questionable.
That leaves the offensive line as perhaps the most important injury storyline entering the game. The timing is particularly rough for Detroit because the Lions already entered the season without center Tate Mays, who was placed on injured reserve with a broken wrist.
Now Detroit must rearrange the front again while preparing for one of the AFC's most talented teams.
Lions offensive line faces difficult assignment in Buffalo
Detroit escaped Week 1 with a 31-30 overtime victory over the New Orleans Saints.
Jahmyr Gibbs helped make it possible. Gibbs rushed 29 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns, giving Detroit the kind of ground-game production that can control a matchup and reduce pressure on the passing game.
Maintaining that formula becomes more complicated without Mahogany and Miller.
The Lions' problems also extend beyond protecting Jared Goff.
An altered offensive line must create running lanes for Gibbs against Buffalo while communicating in what should be an unusually loud environment.
Thursday's game is not merely Buffalo's home opener.
It is the first regular-season game ever played at the new Highmark Stadium. The Bills specifically selected a national Thursday night showcase against Detroit to open the building. Buffalo has won its last four home openers while averaging 38.5 points in those games.
The Bills are turning Thursday into considerably more than another Week 2 game.
OneRepublic will perform the first halftime show at the stadium, and fans will receive LED bracelets synchronized with the performance. All of that guarantees an emotional atmosphere before Detroit even considers the football problems created by its offensive line.
MORE: Josh Allen-Jahmyr Gibbs fireworks come with major Lions warning
Josh Allen, Bills have chance to start 2-0
Both teams arrive unbeaten. Buffalo opened the season with a 36-31 road victory over Houston, while Detroit survived New Orleans in overtime. That makes Thursday an early measuring-stick game for two teams with postseason expectations. The Lions also have a secondary concern.
Reed's questionable designation matters because Detroit allowed 469 total yards against New Orleans in Week 1. Facing Allen after surrendering that much offense is difficult enough. Doing it with uncertainty in the secondary makes the challenge even greater.
Buffalo, meanwhile, received better news on several defensive players. Linebacker Terrel Bernard, edge rusher Bradley Chubb and defensive back Jordan Hancock are expected to play after appearing on the injury report during the short week.
The biggest issue still comes back to Detroit's offensive front.
Short weeks are difficult because teams have little time to recover physically or make major schematic changes. The Lions now have to do both.
They must determine how to replace two starters, keep Goff clean and preserve the running game that carried so much of the offensive load in Week 1.
And they have to figure it out against the Bills, in Buffalo, on the night an entirely new stadium opens its doors for regular-season football.
Bills-Lions kicks off Thursday at 8:15 p.m. ET and will stream nationally on Prime Video.
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