VIDEOS: BARE NAKED LADIES SING 'O CANADA' AT HIGHMARK STADIUM & CROSS BORDER TOSS & BUFFALO BILLS 41 DETROIT LIONS 31 AT HOME OPENER IN NEW HIGHMARK STADIUM 17SEP26

 

OH MAN, what a game! I am so proud of my Bills and am so happy they won their 2026 home opener in their new stadium....WAY TO GO BUFFALO!!!

Location: Highmark Stadium

Final score: Bills 41, Lions 31

Records: Bills (2-0), Lions (1-1)

Next opponent: Bills vs. Chargers Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. EST

The Buffalo Bills won the first-ever game at Highmark Stadium, defeating the Detroit Lions 41-31 on Thursday night. Josh Allen was dominant in the victory, single-handedly scoring five touchdowns.

With the win, Joe Brady became the first head coach in Bills history to start his tenure 2-0.

Game Recap

The Bills wasted no time acclimating to their new home, winning the opening coin toss at Highmark Stadium and electing to receive. Buffalo gave the ball to QB Josh Allen and let him get to work, watching the 30-year-old pick up 39 yards with his legs on a trio of scrambles.

In poetic fashion, Allen took the 10th snap of the opening drive from the one-yard line, hesitating before pushing his way across the goal line for the first touchdown in the new stadium.

Allen and the offense's second drive of the night began with a missed deep shot to WR Khalil Shakir. The gunslinger continued to move the ball, making up for the mishap in a big way six plays later.

WR Josh Palmer used his speed to get vertical quickly up the right seam, blazing past any defender in sight. Allen dealt with pressure on a blitz up the middle, standing strong and delivering a pass to his wide-open target for a 43-yard touchdown.

The Lions couldn't get out of their own way on the Bills third offensive drive of the night. Two backbreaking penalties down in the red zone set up Allen with a second-and-goal from the one-yard line.

Off a play-action fake, Allen got outside the pocket to his right and had space to run, deciding instead to rifle one in to TE Dawson Knox over the middle for a one-yard passing touchdown.

Three touchdowns in the first half wasn't enough for the Bills. RB James Cook III picked up 55 yards on the ground on back-to-back 20+ yard carries near the end of the second quarter.

From 16 yards out, Allen found his other TE Dalton Kincaid on a post up the right seam. After a career day in Week 1 against the Texans, Kincaid again had a huge performance. The 26-year-old tallied 95 yards in the win on seven catches.

A missed point after touchdown after Kincaid's score gave Buffalo 27 points, reaching an impressive landmark.

With that touchdown, the Bills became the first team to score 27+ points in the first half in their new home stadium since the 1971 Cowboys scored 34 first-half points at Texas Stadium.

Buffalo's offense was dominant in the first half, putting up 299 total yards. Cook rushed for an efficient 101 yards on the ground, on just 11 attempts. The offensive outburst sent the Bills into halftime up 27-10.

The success continued into the second half, with Buffalo extending the lead by finding the end zone two more times.

Allen truly made sure to leave his mark on Highmark Stadium in his first game in the building. He finished with 248 yards through the air and three touchdowns, adding 69 yards on the ground and two touchdowns with his legs.

With his second standout performance of the year, Allen cemented himself as the first player in NFL history with 5+ passing touchdowns and 3+ rushing touchdowns through two games of a season.

DL Ed Oliver injured his hip in warmups prior to the matchup with the Lions. The 28-year-old was a surprise to pop up on the inactives list, opening the door for his teammates to pick up the slack in a bigger role.

OLB Greg Rousseau stepped up and joined some impressive company on Thursday, becoming the second Bills player in history to record 2.0+ sacks in each of the first two games of a season since Bruce Smith in 1996.

Both of Rousseau's sacks came in the first 13 minutes of play. His first came on third and eight on the opening drive, using his power and length to drive the Lions offensive line into the backfield. He got to QB Jared Goff from his blindside, wrapping up his legs from behind and forcing a three-and-out.

Detroit's second drive of the night began with two chunk plays. Rousseau quickly put a stop to his opponent's fun, again powering around the left edge and getting Goff from behind. This time he forced the ball loose, as he had twice in Week 1, with a quick recovery by the Lions.

Coming off the other edge, OLB Bradley Chubb had a nice day for himself. The veteran got to Goff for a 13-yard loss on a sack in the second quarter. Chubb and OLB Michael Hoecht combined for another sack as Detroit attempted to make a comeback late in the fourth quarter.

DL Deone Walker stepped up on the interior, impacting the game in his own way. The 22-year-old saw a lot of blocking attention but used it to his advantage. Using his 6-foot-7 frame, Walker batted down three passes throughout the night at the line of scrimmage.

Despite the success by the Bills' defensive front, the Lions still put together a solid showing offensively. Goff tallied 327 passing yards in the loss with four touchdowns.

Detroit WR Amon-Ra St. Brown led the way receiving, being targeted 13 times on Thursday and catching nine passes for 142 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The Bills get a good chance to rest after Thursday night's victory. Up next, they take on the Los Angeles Chargers, with kickoff from Highmark Stadium set for Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. EST.

VIDEOS: Happy CANADA Day!!! Bonne Fête du CANADA!!!

 

THE Canada March broke into an impassioned rendition of 'O Canada' FIFA World Cup 2026

AFTER a microphone issue in Buffalo the entire crowd helps with the singing of 'O Canada' 2026

O Canada (French/français) Sultans of String

Buffalo Sabres fans stepped in to save ‘O Canada,’ raising the bar on what anthems are about 29APR26

 OH my gosh, this is absolutely amazing, such a beautiful expression of love and friendship between Canadians and Americans, makes me so proud of America and just another reason to love Buffalo! GO SABRES!!!

Buffalo Sabres fans stepped in to save ‘O Canada,’ raising the bar on what anthems are about

By Tim Graham

April 30, 2026Updated 12:32 pm EDT

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Shane Doan stood beside his wife in KeyBank Center on Tuesday night and hoped the world noticed what was unfolding.

The Buffalo Sabres were one victory away from eliminating the Boston Bruins in Game 5 and advancing in the postseason for the first time since 2007. But that wasn’t the moment that had Doan gobsmacked. Nor did it have anything to do with his son, Sabres forward Josh Doan, skating in his first Stanley Cup playoff series.

Shane Doan, the 402-goal scorer and Olympian from the Alberta prairie, was in awe before the game began. Seconds into “O Canada,” national anthem singer Cami Clune’s microphone malfunctioned. A dutiful crowd of 19,070 — Shane and Andrea Doan included — rushed to her aid with a full-throated, word-for-word reinforcement.

“With all the things in the world we’re bombarded with, somebody, please, make a big deal out of this,” Doan recalled thinking. “People always are so quick to point out the things that separate us, and realistically there isn’t much.

“You hoped that people understood how special it was.” 

( https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/video/cdLav1lPfoVmMK8/?source=athletic_user_shared_video_copylink&smid=url-share-ta )

Amid cross-border tensions that have included U.S. tariffs and rhetoric mocking Canada’s sovereignty, what happened in Buffalo was rejuvenating.

The eager audience took over from the third line, which begins “True patriot love,” as Clune’s microphone cut in and out. She continued to sing until the end, although the mic mostly went silent around the first “We stand on guard for thee.” Seemingly aware of the significance, the fans’ chorus grew louder.

“The response from the crowd brought me to silent tears,” said Seymour Knox IV, watching from his usual perch. “I think it was one of the highlights in the 30 years of the arena.”

Knox’s father and uncle, Seymour Knox III and Northrup Knox, co-founded the Sabres in 1970. They chose to spell it that way to conform to the Old English style used in Canada. The Knoxes also wanted both national anthems played before every home game — even if the opponent was a U.S. team — to honor Canadian players and fans.

Fifty-five years later, Sabres fans know the words to “O Canada” almost as easily as “Happy Birthday.”

(Another look)

What added to the gravitas Tuesday night was that it raised the bar on what national anthems should be. Recent geopolitical turbulence has caused fans to react boorishly. At last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, fans in Montreal booed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” causing fans in Boston to boo “O Canada” in response.

But not in Buffalo, known as “The City of Good Neighbors.” Besides, it’s practically a Toronto suburb, with Canadian television and radio stations penetrating the airwaves. Labatt Blue is considered a domestic beer. Tim Hortons is as common as McDonald’s.

“The beauty of what happened is that it was completely spontaneous and was all about helping somebody out,” said Buffalo State history and social sciences education chair Andrew Nicholls. The Midland, Ont., native teaches British, Canadian and European history.

“Having lived here for 30 years, this is kind of the equivalent of 19,000 people pulling over in a snowstorm to help somebody whose car is stuck in a snowbank. That’s just what people here do.”

Nobody should assume Canadians comprised a disproportionate share of the singers.

The Buffalo Bills and Sabres do draw multitudes over the border. Toronto is within the NFL’s 75-mile radius that determines a club’s home territory. That puts around 21 percent of Canada’s population within the Bills’ designated market.

But resentment toward U.S. politicians who talk about annexing Canada to make it the 51st state and fears about the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have reduced tourism — even to watch the Canadian pastime in person. Buffalo has long been a destination for hockey fans who can’t afford Toronto Maple Leafs tickets, who follow the Original Six or who want to see national icons such as Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.

“Usually, when the Bruins play in Buffalo, I see a ton of Ontario license plates,” said lifelong Sabres fan and Financial Post columnist Garry Marr. “We had one car in front of us at the Rainbow Bridge on Tuesday night. There are no Canadians coming over right now.

“Those were all Americans singing the national anthem. It’s pretty unbelievable.”

There certainly were some Canadians in attendance, but even if the broadcast crews cared one iota about KeyBank Center’s demographics, they didn’t have time for a census.

The moment Clune’s microphone sputtered, producers for the national and local feeds leaned into a moment that lasted 64 seconds.

Not every broadcast shows national anthems, but the Sabres’ in-house broadcasts have long done so. Turner Sports emphasizes NHL national anthems because of the energy they convey. The only time Turner Sports doesn’t televise the anthems is when game coverage from different time slots overlaps.

“There is an amazing amount of pride from the players and fans who sing it,” Turner Sports vice president John O’Connor said. “The excitement right before, the anthems themselves and the energy coming off the anthems, that crazy excitement going into the game provides an atmosphere that feels like you’re in the building.”

In the production truck outside the arena, Sabres broadcast director Matt Gould quickly diverted from his usual close-up shots of the players’ intense expressions. Instead, he filled the screen with scenes of the singing crowd. Turner Sports director John Tackett and producer Kevin Brown took a similar tack, letting the unscripted moment take over.

Clune was given a replacement microphone for the American anthem, but the crowd kept its momentum. Knox said the a cappella “O Canada” was louder, while Gould noted “The Star Spangled-Banner” still hit a higher decibel level than normal.

Another local singer, a Canadian watching on TV in suburban Buffalo, was blown away by what he saw from Clune and her 19,020 backup singers.

“I thought she handled it just perfectly,” said Jeremy Hoyle, bandleader for renowned cover band The Strictly Hip, an homage to Canadiana icons The Tragically Hip. “That’s a very stressful situation. You’re in an arena, and everything stops to listen to you.

“Anthems are scary. Look what happened! It can change your life if something goes wrong, but then something beautiful can happen too.”

Tim Graham is a senior writer for The Athletic, covering Buffalo sports. He had been the Buffalo News' enterprise reporter and previously covered the AFC East at ESPN and the Miami Dolphins at the Palm Beach Post.