FIRST DOWN: GIBBS’ BREAKOUT
Detroit Lions rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs had his breakout NFL moment on a national stage for Monday Night Football.
Carrying the load for the injured David Montgomery, Gibbs had a career-high 152 rushing yards on 26 carries (5.8 average) and a touchdown. His 27-yard touchdown run off the right side in the third quarter was a thing of beauty, showing off his vision and speed. Gibbs’ performance Monday helped lead Detroit to a 26-14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders at Ford Field.
The skills that made Gibbs the No. 12 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft were on full display: Tough inside the tackle running, speed in space, breaking tackles, catching the football and accelerating past defenders. Gibbs did it all Monday. He also caught five passes for 37 yards.
“We wanted to get Gibbs going and we wanted to establish the run and you could tell he was feeling it,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of his rookie running back. “Every week he’s just gotten a little bit better and a little bit better. I thought last week was his best game and then this week he certainly surpassed that. I think the more he gains his own confidence in his own abilities in this league he’s just going to continue to roll, and I think this was kind of the tip of the iceberg of what he’s able to do.”
With Montgomery potentially back in the lineup after the bye next week, it’s shaping up like Detroit has a heck of a one-two punch in their backfield moving forward.
2023-10-31 05:28:02
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