THIRD DOWN: GIBBS’ BIG DAY
Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery have been the best running back duo in the NFL for two seasons now. Detroit goes into every game with a plan to utilize both players and does a pretty good job splitting their carries.
Sunday’s game in Indianapolis was more of a Gibbs game down the stretch after Montgomery left the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury.
Gibbs’ second touchdown of the afternoon late in the third quarter made it a two-score lead for the Lions and he had some critical runs in the fourth quarter to keep the chains moving and milk the clock in Detroit’s favor.
Gibbs finished with 90 yards on 21 carries (4.3 average) with two touchdowns.
“We have two bell cows, and it’s rare,” Lions quarterback Jared Goff said after the game. “We do. We have two guys we can hand the ball off to a ton. One goes down there for a little bit and another guy steps up. It’ll happen both ways throughout the year. We’re lucky to have both of them and they do a hell of a job.”
Both Gibbs and Montgomery have now reached 10 rushing touchdowns on the season, the first duo in league history to accomplish that feat in back-to-back seasons.
“I think we can beat you any way,” Gibbs said. “You want us to pass the ball? I think we can pass the ball. We can run the ball. We can do that very good. You want to narrow it down? Pick your poison, basically.”
With those two rushing touchdowns, Gibbs became the third player in franchise history to produce at least 10 scrimmage touchdowns in each of a player’s first two career seasons, joining Barry Sanders (1989-90) and Billy Sims (1980-81). Not bad company.