The Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions are both coming off Week 1 wins, but Thursday Night Football brings a different challenge as the teams, which have already announced their uniforms, face each other at the new Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo’s official depth chart lists Josh Allen as the starter and Kyle Allen as his backup, while Detroit has Jared Goff followed by Joshua Dobbs at quarterback. Those are the players currently listed in the teams’ official depth charts.
The quarterback matchup comes with plenty of attention, too, as this is the first regular-season game at the Bills’ new stadium. They will kick off at 8:15 PM ET on Thursday, September 17, with both teams looking to begin the season 2-0.
Bills vs. Lions QB depth charts for Week 2
The Bills’ QB depth chart lists Josh Allen as the starter and Kyle Allen as his backup, while the Lions have Jared Goff at No. 1 and Joshua Dobbs behind him for Week 2. Both quarterbacks are coming off victories in the season opener, with Buffalo beating Houston 36-31 and Detroit edging New Orleans 31-30.
Josh Allen and Kyle Allen of the Buffalo Bills (Source: Tim Warner/Getty Images)
For Buffalo, Josh Allen remains firmly atop the depth chart entering Thursday Night Football. The Bills quarterback opened the season with 334 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and no interceptions against the Texans, while also adding 23 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. His 130.5 passer rating was one of the strongest individual performances of Week 1.
Kyle Allen is listed as Buffalo’s No. 2 quarterback. The veteran spent the offseason competing for the backup job alongside Shane Buechele, with the Bills noting during training camp that both quarterbacks had impressed. The team’s current official depth chart, however, has Kyle Allen behind Josh Allen.
Detroit’s quarterback situation is similarly clear heading into the matchup. Jared Goff is the Lions’ starter, with Joshua Dobbs listed as his backup on the team’s official 2026 depth chart. Goff began the season by leading Detroit to a one-point win over the Saints, while Dobbs did not record a passing attempt in Week 1.
Jared Goff and Joshua Dobbs of the Detroit Lions (Source: Gregory Shamus/Nic Antaya — Getty Images)
The Lions’ quarterback room changed during the offseason after Teddy Bridgewater was initially expected to compete for the backup role. Detroit’s training camp preview identified Goff, Bridgewater and rookie Luke Altmyer as the quarterbacks on the roster at the time, but the current Week 2 depth chart now has Dobbs directly behind Goff.
