ALLEN PARK — Getting the win on Sunday against the Vikings is the main goal, really the only goal that really matters for coach Dan Campbell and the Lions.
Along the way, however, running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs could each reach the 1,000-yard rushing milestone for the season. They would become just the sixth pair to do so in NFL history.
“It would mean a lot for me and D-Mo and the rest of the offense, it shows dedication to the work we’ve put in throughout this whole season. It would be special for the program,’’ Gibbs said.
Montgomery is 25 yards shy while Gibbs needs 85 against the Vikings at Ford Field on Sunday. That should be an easy day for the backs who have sparked the Lions’ offense this season.
“First, obviously we want to win by any means. If we don’t get it and we win it, we’ll live with it. If we get it and win it’d be a bonus, it would mean a lot to us,’’ Gibbs said.
He and Montgomery figured out a few weeks ago that they could each reach the 1,000-yard milestone.
“I do think it’s fantastic they’re approached that point,’’ Lions assistant head coach/running backs coach Scottie Montgomery said on Wednesday. “But I’d be remiss if I said if we didn’t have the O-line that we have, if we didn’t have the tight ends that we have. If you look at our receivers in the force blocking game on the perimeter, which can be complicated, they give our guys an exceptional chance to get to the next level.’’
Coach Montgomery said the 1,000 yard marks could be special, but he won’t be giving out touches based on yardage during the game. “Everything is secondary to the team,’’ he said.
Gibbs ranks second in the NFL behind Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson (948 yards), for most rushing yards among rookies this season.
Gibbs, a first-round pick, has had an instant impact. He said it took until about Week 5 where he felt more comfortable on the field.
“I think the easiest thing to judge is physical talent. Probably the hardest thing to judge is mental capacity and level of professionalism,’’ Scottie Montgomery said. “Those two things, he knocks it out of the park. …’’
Gibbs leads the NFL in most 20-plus yard rushes this season with 10. San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey has nine.
The rookie also ranks third in rushing average with 5.41 per game. Lamar Jackson averages 5.55 and Justin Fields 5.43.
Montgomery, who was signed as a free agent, ranks seventh in the NFL with the most rushing yards and third with most rushing yards per game, averaging 75.0. He’s also tied for fourth with 3 100-yard rushing games.
He ranks third in Lions history for most rushing touchdowns per season with a dozen. He’s in good company — Barry Sanders had 14 and Billy Sims 13.
Already Montgomery and Gibbs have each topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage which makes them the fourth set of running backs in team history to each surpass 1,000 scrimmage yards in the same season. They also became the first set of players to each have at least eight rushing touchdowns in the same season for Detroit.
MOVES: Veteran defensive linemen Isaiah Buggs and Bruce Irvin have been released to make room on the roster. Campbell said for Buggs it was best for the team and for him. Irvin joined the Lions late and played in just three games. “That was tough, what a blessing to have him around,’’ Campbell said. “… He’s an absolute stud.”
INJURIES: WR Jameson Williams (ankle), LT Taylor Decker (groin) and TE Brock Wright (hip) did not practice on Wednesday; LB James Houston (ankle), TE Sam LaPorta (ankle) and DT Alim McNeill had limited practice.
UP NEXT: Vikings at Lions, 1 p.m. on Sunday at Ford Field on FOX.
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