Bills Central

Bills vs. Lions Thanksgiving Thriller: 3 Observations From Buffalo Big Win

The Buffalo Bills took a bite out of the turkey and the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day.

Jeremy Brener

The Buffalo Bills (8-3) are sitting down at the Thanksgiving table well-fed with a 28-25 win against the Detroit Lions (4-7) Thursday afternoon at Ford Field.

The Bills trailed at multiple points throughout the game, including the fourth quarter, but Buffalo proved its resiliency in a strong win to eight wins. The win didn't come easy, and it came at the price of losing linebacker Von Miller to a knee injury.

Here's three observations from today's Thanksgiving game ...

Bass Gets Revenge

After missing the extra point on the go-ahead drive, Tyler Bass had a chance for redemption in the waning seconds of the come-from-behind victory.

After the Lions tied the game with 23 seconds to go, Josh Allen and the Bills made magic after a 36-yard pass to Stefon Diggs and two quarterback runs to set up Bass for the game-winning 45-yard field goal.

The Bills have built their identity around improbable late-game missions, and after failing two weeks ago against the Minnesota Vikings, the entire team rallied and got their revenge today.

Isaiah McKenzie Makes a Statement

For the first time since Week 4, Isaiah McKenzie found the end zone. It was the speedster's fourth touchdown of the season and got the Bills on the scoreboard for the day.

McKenzie led the team with a season-high 96 receiving yards, and his efforts today flexed the depth Buffalo's offense has.

While most defenses often look towards Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis or Devin Singletary, it's a mistake to not give McKenzie enough attention, otherwise he can torch opposing secondaries like he did today.

Von's Gone

Losing Von Miller to a knee injury could prove to have a larger impact than the Bills' win today.

Miller walked off the field on his own power, but he was ruled out for the game almost immediately after his second-quarter injury.

Early prognoses state it could be anything from a knee sprain to a torn ACL, but regardless of the severity, Miller will miss time down the stretch as the Bills fight for playoff positioning in the surprisingly tight AFC East.

The Bills are back in action next Thursday night against the New England Patriots. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15.

Follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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