Tag: Jahmyr Gibbs

Lions RBs Montgomery and Gibbs could be a problem for the Commanders

Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs missed his sidekick David Montgomery for the final three regular season games. 

On Saturday night, in the NFL divisional round game against the Washington Commanders, they will be back together against a team that’s ranked 30th in rushing defense.

“It’s going to be great, I missed him a lot, being around him everyday. Not being around him everyday was so much different,’’ Gibbs said on Wednesday. “Just being on the sideline with him, cracking jokes and stuff just watching him play – he’s a great player. I love watching what he does. It’s going to be fun to get back to what we were doing.’’

And what they were doing is helping the Lions to a 15-2 record and smashing franchise records along the way.

Even though he missed his buddy, Gibbs excelled in those three Montgomery-less games — all wins. He had 64 carries, 365 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns, along with 13 catches for 122 yards and a receiving touchdown.

Typically, Montgomery starts the game and the two alternate depending on who is having success. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson wouldn’t say if that will be the case on Saturday. 

“It’s to be determined. Gibbs has certainly had a hot hand as of late and I expect David to come in and pick up where he left off,’’ Johnson said. “If the last two days (of practice) are any indication, he’s of the right mindset right now.’’

Montgomery, who rehabbed from an MCL sprain that happened on Dec. 15, is ready. He doesn’t want a pitch count, he just wants to go. 

This dynamic duo was part of Campbell and GM Brad Holmes’ plan all along. They signed Montgomery as a free agent from the Bears in March 2023, and then a month later drafted Gibbs in the first round in a move that drew criticism from around the League. Obviously they’ve been vindicated.

Campbell said they were lucky to play in the NFC North with Montgomery.

“He was a pain in the rear. I hated playing against him because I thought he was a hammer. And we’ve got even better than that and I thought he was a good player.  A tone-setter, heavy, great feet, can cut, finishing power, can protect, (he’s a) receiver out of the back. He can do it all. He’s a hammer.’’

Campbell said when he and Holmes scouted Gibbs they were blown away.

“We saw the fit immediately,’’ Campbell said. “For us it was always about a 1-2 punch.’’

(UP NEXT: Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions, 8 p.m. on Saturday at Ford Field.)

Lions expect spark from return of RB David Montgomery against Commanders

Top 6 NFL rushing teams made the playoffs including Detroit, Washington

The Detroit Lions’ run game will get a boost with the return of running back David Montgomery, in the divisional round against the Washington Commanders on Saturday at Ford Field.

Jahmyr Gibbs has been carrying most of  the load with Montgomery’s three-game absence and excelling. Montgomery, who wears No. 5, was initially thought to be done for the season when he injured his knee on Dec. 15, but with rehab he has been cleared for the playoff run.

“Five’s a big part of us, he’s a huge part of us. To me he’s a bell cow, he’s somebody that is a tone-setter, he’s a catalyst,’’ coach Dan Campbell said on Monday. “There’s a place for him here, so there’ll be a place for him in this game. It’s going to be good to get him back.’’

Through the regular season, the Lions finished sixth in rushing offense (total yards) with 2,488 yards and tied for second with 29 rushing touchdowns. The Washington Commanders were third in total rushing yards (2,619) and fourth in rushing touchdowns with 25.

It’s really no surprise that the top six rushing offense teams are all in the playoffs – although it was one-and-done for the Packers and Buccaneers.

Certainly it’s a huge part of the Lions’ offensive game plan and they’ve invested in Gibbs and Montgomery. This season Gibbs rushed for 1,412 yards and 16 touchdowns and also had 52 catches for 512 yards and 5 receiving TDs. Montgomery had 775 rushing yards with a dozen rushing touchdowns and 341 receiving yards.

“I just believe that’s where everything starts, I know it starts for us that way. It creates an attitude, it creates a style, it creates a scheme, everything works off of that, is what you should say,’’ Campbell said. “At least for us that’s where it begins. It just takes a lot of pressure off other players – I think it takes pressure off your quarterback. 

“If you can run it now you play-action pass off the same or similar type of schemes, you open up windows, It helps your receivers separate, they still have to beat the corner but everything underneath is open,’’ the coach added.

With an elite quarterback like Jared Goff it just makes sense.

“When you have a guy who’s as accurate as our guy is, the passer that our guy is, and receivers that can get open like (Amon-Ra) St. Brown, Jamo (Jameson Williams) and these guys, that’s pure gasoline that’s why you do it,’’ Campbell said.

The coach noted the obvious, that it’s hard to pass in the NFL.

“Especially if everybody in the arena knows you’re passing, every defense knows you’re passing they just pin their ears back, it’s tough,’’ Campbell said.

UP NEXT: Detroit Lions host the Washington Commanders in the divisional round at 8 p.m. on Saturday at Ford Field. The Lions are coming off a bye earned with the No. 1 seed, while the Commanders upset the Buccaneers on Sunday night to advance. Detroit opened as an 8.5-point favorite.

Lions take the NFC North title and No. 1 seed with 31-9 win over Vikings

Five reasons they were able dominate, starting with defense

DETROIT — Jahmyr Gibbs provided four touchdowns and the Detroit Lions defense frustrated the Minnesota Vikings holding them to just three field goals.

It was a combination that worked to perfection with the Lions topping the Vikings, 31-29, on Sunday night at Ford Field to win the NFC North for the second straight year. And, perhaps more importantly, to earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed which comes with a bye week and home field advantage until the Super Bowl.

The Lions finished the regular season at 15-2 with the Vikings dropping to 14-3. It was the first time in franchise history the Lions won consecutive division titles.

“That’s a good team over there, they’re well coached, a ton of weapons and we were able to contain them and keep them at bay until our offense was able to find our rhythm,’’ coach Dan Campbell said. “Total team effort, started with our defense and took the whole unit.’’

In recent weeks, franchise records were shattered. It’s been a season that diehard fans had just dreamt about. Time to pinch themselves, these Lions are for real. Campbell, who is in his fourth season in Detroit, shares the credit but he and GM Brad Holmes have built this team, starting with a 3-win season in 2021. It reflects Campbell’s gritty personality. 

“I just told them to me, this has been in the making for a while. It takes a special group of guys and I think you had to go through what we’ve been through the last four years, the core of this unit,’’ Campbell said. “Anybody that comes in, they fall in line because that’s what we’re built around, our core. They really delivered for us today. Our playmakers made plays when we needed it.’’

Five of the reasons the Lions won:

ONE: The defense, which was sparked by the return of linebacker Alex Anzalone, came up big from the get-go. The Vikings were 0-for-4 in the red zone with two turnovers on downs inside the 5-yard line. Remember they won 14 games this season with Sam Darnold having a career year.  “I can’t say enough about our defense, let’s start there. AG (defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) and this defense, they really controlled that game for us, particularly the first two and a half quarters,’’ Campbell said. “The guys on defense I thought executed exactly the way we had worked and what we had talked about. We were able to apply a lot of pressure and it paid dividends.’’

TWO: Cornerback Amik Robertson also got a game ball. His task most of the night was to defense wide receiver Justin Jefferson, usually a powerhouse. But not on Sunday night. Jefferson was targeted nine times and caught just 3 passes for 54 yards. Campbell said this was the reason they signed Robertson who is in his first season with the Lions. “He’s as competitive as they come,’’ Campbell said.

THREE: The defense, which has so many of its key players out with injuries, has faltered at times but really is a reason the Lions lost just two games. Alex Anzalone’s return after being out seven weeks with a broken forearm was huge. “He’s really our quarterback on defense and he just brings, a lot of confidence, he brings, a lot of energy, he can calm the storms,’’ Campbell said. “To have him back, I thought it was going to take him a minute to work himself back in, It didn’t take long at all and he was back to what he was before he got injured. We gave him a game ball.’’ They didn’t work him back in, he played every defensive snap. Afterward Anzalone said his arm was sore. He’s happy to get the bye week for the rest and to celebrate his son’s birthday on Saturday.

FOUR: Jahmyr Gibbs’ first few runs looked like it might be a tough day for him. But he warmed up, broke through and scored all four of the Lions touchdowns—three rushing and one receiving. “He was big and I felt like he gained steam as the game went on. I thought he got better and better and better. You could really feel it after that last stop we got in the Red Zone, the next carry he just breaks it down the sideline,’’ Campbell said. “He was big for us and we felt like he was going to need to be big for us to win that game. All those guys needed to play well but we felt like that Gibbs could somewhat be the X-factor here and he did and he showed up in a big way in the run game and the pass game.’’

FIVE: Jared Goff kept the offense rolling even when it seemed to stutter a bit in the first half. The Lions took a 10-9 lead at halftime and then the offense started rolling in the third quarter. He threw a pair of interceptions but the defense was able to bail him and the offense out a few times They all worked hand in hand and it showed. “It’s fun, it’s what we talked about when we first got here. Certainly when I first got here was the opportunity you dream about being able to win division championships in the NFC North, and then ultimately win Super Bowls, that’s what’s next for us,’’ Goff said. “This is fun and exciting and we obviously wanted it really bad and we’re going to enjoy the heck out of it, but it’s Step One. In some other world it would have happened a few weeks ago but it happened Week 18.’’ Goff produced his ninth game of the season with a completion percentage of 75.0 percent, passing Tom Brady (8 in 2007) for the most in a season in NFL history.

INJURY UPDATE: CB Terrion Arnold left the game with a foot injury in the first half. Campbell said the X-rays were negative but it was quite tender. Said he’d know more on Monday. 

UP NEXT: The Lions will have a bye week to rest up.