Detroit’s Dangerous Run Game
David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs brought Detroit’s run game to a whole new level after their historic season. Both Gibbs and Montgomery bring different strengths to Detroit as runners, and both have found themselves in the end zone many times. With a strong offensive line, Detroit’s run game has flourished.
Photo Credit: Ashley Landis, AP Photo
Jahmyr Gibbs was a questionable first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was taken by Detroit with the sixth pick, and a lot of people were confused on why Brad Holmes took a running back so early. Well, looking back on it, Brad Holmes made the right decision. With limited use in the first few games, Jahmyr Gibbs was slowly implemented in the Lion’s offense. He went to Alabama and was known for his ability to run and catch the ball. Having a versatile running back as quick as Jahmyr was a key to the Lion’s success all season. He finished the Regular Season with over 900 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Lions used him as an outside runner and while Montgomery was injured, he took most of the snaps. Gibbs outruns his opponents and makes defenders miss in the open field.
Photo Credit: David Reginek, USA Today
David Montgomery is a strong runner who holds onto the football. He will put you on the ground if you’re in his way. Montgomery came to Detroit after the Chicago Bears decided not to bring him back. The Lions signed him as a free agent and gave him a majority of the snaps. With him being a veteran, he started in these games with Gibbs as their number two. Montgomery was injured in late September, and that is when Gibbs became fully involved with the offense. Once Montgomery was able to come back, is when we saw the full potential of these guys playing together. Detroit’s playbook opened up, with Montgomery being able to get gritty yards at the line of scrimmage and Gibbs able to fly down the outside line while making guys miss. Montgomery finished the Regular Season with over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Photo Credit: Nic Antaya
The Lions have struggled at running the football in previous years. Whether it was a bad offensive line, poor play calling, or just bad running backs. Detroit started to see success in the 2022 Season. Having Jamaal Williams in 2022 was where Detroit took a step in the right direction. Then, for the 2023 Season, they decided to invest in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Ben Johnson has done an excellent job putting these running backs at their strengths and using them in different ways against teams. That is a reason these running backs are succeeding. Not only are they talented, but they are playing a style that fits them. Having a runner in Montgomery who can get low and hit hard is a great piece, along with Gibbs, who sees the field well and can fly past defenders. This is the best run game Detroit has seen in a very long time. With the success in the 2023 Season, it looks like that will continue with Ben Johnson’s system. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are looking to become even better next season and continue their success in Detroit.
