Just hours after Detroit was beaten in Buffalo, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy declared the Lions’ Super Bowl window was closed. He made fun of a fan base still grappling with a 41-31 defeat that put Detroit at 1-1.
After winning in overtime against New Orleans to start the season, the Lions fell behind early in Buffalo, trailing by 21 points before finally getting their downfield receivers going.
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Josh Allen threw five total touchdowns in the contest; Jared Goff finished 26 of 38 passing for 327 yards and four scores but could not cut into the deficit.
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Portnoy tweeted on Friday:
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“Has any window shut faster and more completely than the Lions? Sucked for 100 years, good for 1.5 years & now absolutely sucks again. Feel bad for Lions fans.”
The Lions went 12-5 in 2023 and reached the NFC championship game, then followed with a 15-2 season and the conference’s top seed in 2024. This was their first back-to-back playoff berths in decades. Two games into 2026, their defense has allowed 71 points and 915 total yards, with 63 first downs surrendered, a total tied for the second-most by any team through two games since 1950.
A coordinator’s exit still shadows the Lions’ roster
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson departed for the Chicago Bears after the 2024 season, and Detroit went 9-8, missing the playoffs in 2025. Johnson’s Bears won the NFC North last year and started this season 1-0. Coach Dan Campbell dismissed the alarm after Thursday’s loss. He said two games do not define the season and that his team needs to refine “all three phases.”
At intermission, with Detroit down 27-10, he was more direct about the lapses on his sideline.
Detroit has never played in a Super Bowl and has not won a championship since 1957. The Lions host the New York Jets on Sept. 27.
Edited by R. Elahi