The Detroit Lions lead the National Football League with 394 points. They have an elite quarterback in Jared Goff. They have an elite wide receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown. They have an elite tight end in Sam LaPorta. But let’s not kid ourselves. The Lions offense runs through their running back, Jahmyr Gibbs of Dalton, Georgia. On Thursday night at Ford Field, we saw just how much of a beast Gibbs can be.
Gibbs only had 43 rushing yards. However, he had 120 total yards, and found the end zone thrice in a 44-30 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Gibbs had rushing touchdowns of one yard, 10 yards and 13 yards. He also leads the NFL with 29 rushing touchdowns over the last two seasons.
This season, Gibbs is averaging 5.68 yards per rush, which also leads the NFL. He is averaging one one-hundredth of a yard more than Indianapolis Colts superstar running back Jonathan Taylor, who is averaging 5.67 yards per rush.
Gibbs is an elite back on a Lions team that has provided a significant amount of carries for Gibbs and fellow running back David Montgomery. They have combined for 316 carries in 2025, with Gibbs rushing 187 times. The fact that the Lions have two formidable backs keeps Gibbs fresh.
It is fair to say that Gibbs is making the most of his opportunities. He is third in the NFL with 1062 rushing yards (only behind Taylor with 1282 rushing yards and James Cook of the Buffalo Bills with 1228 rushing yards). However, Gibbs is a more powerful receiver, as he has 474 receiving yards, compared to Taylor at 304 receiving yards, and Cook at 236 receiving yards.
With the win, the Lions improved to a record of eight wins and five losses. They are still very much in the playoff conversation thanks to the explosiveness that Gibbs provides on a consistent basis.
