Lions' banged-up defense no match for high-scoring Allen-led Bills in 48-42 loss

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions had no answers for Josh Allen.

Now, they're hoping a banged-up defense can stop anyone else.

Detroit’s patchwork defense got even more threadbare in a 48-42 loss to Allen and the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, losing three contributors to possible season-ending injuries.

Defensive tackle Alim McNeill injured a knee, cornerback Carlton Davis III left with a jaw injury and reserve cornerback and key special teams player Khalil Dorsey broke his right leg, which coach Dan Campbell said was similar to Aidan Hutchinson's season-ending injury.

"We’ll know more about Alim and (Davis) tomorrow, but I don’t feel good about either one of those guys," Campbell said. "If I’m saying I don’t feel good about an injury, that means not good for the rest of the season.”

The Lions have more players on injured reserve than anyone else in the NFL, and a high percentage of those players play defense. They have managed to overcome the loss of Hutchinson – the league’s best pass rusher – but Allen showed how far things have gotten.

Not only did they fail to register a sack, they rarely got any pressure on him. They had just three quarterback hits on a day during which he threw for a season-high 362 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 68 yards and two more scores.

“He poses a huge issue for any team, and we knew that was going to happen,” Campbell said. “We wanted to handle him better and we just didn’t. When he makes a play, I can live with it, but what is frustrating is all the self-inflicted wounds.

“You can’t give that team anything, and I feel like we helped them a little bit.”

Buffalo’s 48 points and 559 yards don’t even tell the whole tale because Tyler Bass missed a 24-yard field goal that could have put the Bills over 50 points. The performance came after Buffalo lost 44-42 to the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday.

“We knew they were going to be ready to go after that tough loss out there on the West Coast," Campbell said. "They had that urgency and we just didn’t match it. That’s on me. I didn’t have those guys ready to go for a game like that. We have a lot of guys who can play better than that, and that’s my job.”

The final box score doesn’t look too bad for the Lions on offense after they had 521 yards, including 494 yards from Jared Goff, and lost by just six points.

Goff threw for 333 yards in the second half, but Detroit only added seven on the ground. Detroit trailed 38-21 early in the fourth quarter and were still down two scores until scoring their last touchdown with 16 seconds left.

“If we had been able to play like that at the start of the game, maybe we would have stayed closer for the first three quarters,” Goff said. “It probably wouldn’t have felt quite so much like garbage time there at the end.

“They punched us in the mouth early and it took us too long to respond.”

Goff, though, thinks the game could have value in the long run.

“We would have loved to win out, including the Super Bowl, but that didn’t happen,” he said. “I hope we can look back on this as a good lesson and use what we learn to win the next three games.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) runs against Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Rey Del Rio)

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) runs against Detroit Lions defensive end Za'Darius Smith during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Rey Del Rio)

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, foreground, celebrates after scoring against the Detroit Lions during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Rey Del Rio)

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — A broadcaster has apologized for referring to star India bowler Jasprit Bumrah as ‘primate’ during the third cricket test between Australia and India.

Former England bowler Isa Guha, who is part of Australia's Fox Sports cricket broadcast lineup made the inadvertent comment during the second day's play which attracted immediate criticism on social media.

“Well, he’s the MVP, isn’t he? Most valuable primate, Jasprit Bumrah,” Guha said on Sunday, where Bumrah had taken five wickets to again lead India's bowling attack.

At the start of Monday's broadcast Guha made the apology for using the term, which is widely perceived to carry negative racial connotations.

“Yesterday in commentary I used a word that can be interpreted in a number of different ways,” Guha said, while sat beside former India player and coach Ravi Shastri and host Adam Gilchrist. “I’d like to apologise for any offence caused. I set myself really high standards when it comes to empathy and respect of others.

“If you listen to the full transcript I only meant the highest praise for one of India’s greatest players. And someone that I admire greatly.

Guha is of Indian heritage and has been a high-profile face of the Fox Sports broadcast team for several years.

“I’m an advocate for equality and someone who has spent their career thinking about inclusion and understanding in the game, she added. “I was trying to frame the enormity of his achievement and I’ve chosen the wrong word. For that I am deeply sorry.”

Shastri said in reply that the matter had not been talked about within the India team and that it should be considered dealt with.

“Brave woman to do it on live television and apologize, it takes some steel,” Shastri said. “As far as I am concerned, game over. People are entitled to make mistakes, we are all human.

“As far as the Indian team, there is a test match going on. They would like to focus on the game that is taking place.”

The incident raised memories of the 2008 ‘monkeygate’ scandal where Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds accused India spinner Harbhajan Singh of calling him a ‘monkey’ during a test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Harbhajan was initially suspended for three matches which was later rescinded after protests from the India team.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

India's Jasprit Bumrah looks on during play on day two of the third cricket test between India and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Dec.15, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher)