EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe Buffalo Bills threw a heck of a housewarming party for their new Highmark Stadium on Thursday, launching fireworks to open the night and then piling up points in a 41-31 victory over the Detroit Lions that felt more dominant than the final score indicated.The Bills are now 2-0, making Joe Brady the first coach in franchise history to win his first two games.Brady said he felt little emotion during the festivities -- that was on purpose; he wanted his players to remain composed, too -- but that wasn't the case for everyone else in Orchard Park, New York.Fans spent hours tailgating before the game and erupted when Hall of Famer Bruce Smith led them in a "Let's Go, Buffalo" chant. Josh Allen said he got emotional during the national anthem, thinking about how lucky he is to play in Buffalo."To be the first quarterback to open this stadium, it's a special spot," Allen said.The 60,000-plus fans there for the stadium christening roared as Allen accounted for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing), with the first chants of "M-V-P" echoing in the din.Allen scored the night's first TD on a 1-yard run, then found a wide-open Joshua Palmer on a 43-yard bomb for the next. Each time the sound was so loud it felt like a roof would have blown off -- had their been one on the new, $2.1 billion building.It was part of a night-long party, aided by the Bills' dominant performance. Their 41 points were the most in a team's home stadium debut since the Dolphins scored 42 at Joe Robbie Stadium in 1987, per Elias Sports Bureau."I don't really get starstruck, but there were a few times I looked up and I thought, 'Oh, s---,'" defensive tackle Deone Walker said of the atmosphere.Entering the game, Brady said he didn't want his team to put on a show for the stadium opener; he wanted it to put on a clinic. The Bills did that, and that fueled the festive atmosphere.They raced out to a 21-0 lead and never let the Lions draw too close. With every Allen pass and James Cook run, the fans screamed. If there had been concern that the luxury of a new stadium might quiet one of the NFL's most overwhelming home field advantages, that is probably no longer a worry.The old stadium is now in ruins across the street, but the successes of recent seasons have transferred over, along with the late-game singalong of "Mr. Brightside" and the cacophony that has cowed so many opponents.In the end, even Brady was a little wowed."That place was electric," he said.
