ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills opened Highmark Stadium against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night, defeating them 41-31 to improve to 2-0. Josh Allen scored five combined touchdowns, including the first regular-season touchdown in the new facility on a one-yard rushing play during Buffalo's opening drive.
The $2.2 billion stadium's European soccer-inspired design amplified crowd noise throughout the game, creating communication problems for the Lions. Lions coach Dan Campbell acknowledged the impact during a halftime interview on Amazon Prime Video, saying the noise contributed to his team's struggles.
Average resale prices for the game's "get-in" ticket were $569 according to TicketData, the highest for any Week 2 NFL game. The Bills' remaining seven home games this season also have triple-digit resale prices, reflecting the team's success since 2020 and Allen's emergence as a franchise cornerstone.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, a Jamestown native, attended the opener. He told Amazon Prime Video's coverage that the stadium is "something spectacular and something that I think is going to make the people of Buffalo really proud."
Barenaked Ladies, a Canadian rock band, performed the Canadian national anthem before the game—the first time the Bills have featured it at one of their games. The decision reflects the team's significant Canadian fan base. Approximately 12 percent of personal-seat license holders are Canadian, and Canadians account for 20 percent of the team's season-ticket waiting list. The region, including nearby Ontario and Toronto, falls within the team's 75-mile home market radius.
Highmark Stadium features the NFL's smallest seating capacity while effectively channeling crowd energy to support the home team.
