Detroit Lions Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs made franchise history in their Week 16 win against the Chicago Bears. He joined franchise legends Barry Sanders and Billy Sims as the only other running backs in Lions history to have 1,500+ scrimmage yards and 15+ total touchdowns in a season. He still has two more games to add to those totals.
Gibbs has been a critical piece for the Detroit Lions this season as he is sixth in the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. The star running back will have to carry a heavier load because his backfield partner, David Montgomery, suffered a Torn MCL. Montgomery’s status is unknown at this time. Will Gibbs be able to keep up his level of play as the Detroit Lions look to finish the regular season on a high note?
Detroit Lions Season Summary
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Detroit(13-2) is currently the No. 1 seed in the NFC. They have overcome a rash of injuries this season, and have continued winning games in spite of it. The Lions have had one of the league’s best offenses this season. They are second in yards per game and lead the league in points per game. Quarterback Jared Goff is playing at an MVP level as he is second in the league in passing yards, fourth in passing touchdowns, and eighth in QBR.
The aforementioned injuries have hampered the Detroit defense this season. They are 18th in the league in yards allowed and sixth in points allowed per game. These defensive injuries have caused Head Coach Dan Campbell to make questionable coaching decisions regarding fourth down aggressiveness. Campbell said this following Detroit’s Week 14 victory over the Green Bay Packers. “I just felt like we needed to end it on offense. I did not want to give that ball back and I believed we could get that.” This quote illustrates that Campbell does not trust his defense in critical situations.
Final Thoughts
Gibbs will look to continue his historic 2024 season as the Detroit Lions look to clinch home-field advantage for the NFL Playoffs over the final two weeks of the regular season. Detroit visits the San Francisco 49ers on Monday and closes out the regular season with a Week 18 game against the Minnesota Vikings that may determine both the NFC North and the No. 1 seed.
