‘A special, special situation’: Why RB Jahmyr Gibbs’ three-headed skill set has Lions eager for Year 2

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Scottie Montgomery sat back and mentally replayed the October 2023 play.

The Detroit Lions running backs coach didn’t know that at the time. But three hours earlier, Montgomery alumnus Jahmyr Gibbs had conjured up the same play when considering which of his 234 rookie touches most reflected his NFL potential.

The Lions gained just 2 points against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football when Jared Goff handed the ball off to Gibbs, who began his chase more than 6 yards behind his quarterback.

Gibbs grabbed the ball and ran into the middle of the Raiders’ defensive line. Yes, in the middle. He cut neither right nor left as he worked decisively toward the end zone. Only after passing defender after defender did Gibbs lean to the right toward an open field.

He overtook the opposing safety and scored standing up, before jumping exultantly into the stands.

Montgomery marveled on the sidelines.

A rookie reached the restricted zone like that?

“It was a tight inside cut,” Montgomery told Yahoo Sports on Friday after the Lions meetings ended. “Most young defenders jump, but he decided not to jump and escaped. As soon as he passed, he burst down the right side and scored.

“That was one of the situations for us, ‘OK — this is going to be a special, special situation.’”

Gibbs’ rookie year was truly special. Forget the criticism the Lions suffered when drafting a running back in the first round – the 12th overall selection of 2023 needed an opportunity, but a short time, to demonstrate his full potential.

Entering his second pro year on a roster that looks prime for something big, Gibbs isn’t just riding the wave of rookie success. Instead, he’s working and learning and asking everyone around him how he can improve.

So the Lions hope he does.

“[It’s] coming together much faster than last year,” Gibbs told Yahoo Sports. “More comfortable. I know the offense.

From Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Gibbs collecting teachers

When Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown approaches, the questions begin.

What are you looking at? What visual cues are you getting? How do you expect the hook defender to react and what happens to the flat outside defender? How can I prevent the flat defender from squeezing me?

Gibbs wants to know all the answers.

He rushed for 2,132 yards and 15 touchdowns in three years at Georgia Tech and Alabama, catching another 104 passes for 1,217 yards and eight touchdowns. But NFL coverage tends to be more complex and with more disguises. Therefore, for a young running back to dominate the passing game, it is wise to ask questions.

Gibbs does this early and often.

He asks his quarterback when to be precise on routes and when to be creative; offensive linemen weigh in on how he can better help in pass protection, with center Frank Ragnow praising Gibbs’ third-down blitz catches.

Coaches saw how many defensive looks Gibbs received during the first two months of his NFL career. As the novelty wore off, Gibbs’ snap count rose from 12 to 38 in the first four weeks of the season to more than 50 in Weeks 7 and 8.

“We were really impressed with his ability to transition from the classroom to the field,” Montgomery said. “That can sometimes slow a player down; With him, that didn’t happen.”

As Gibbs adapted to offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s intricate offense, his vision and acceleration improved and his yards per carry increased.

Gibbs’ 5.2 yards per carry ranked third among running backs, behind only Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers (5.4) and Jaylen Warren of the Pittsburgh Steelers (5.3).

Only fellow running back David Montgomery scored more touchdowns (13) than Gibbs’ 11 from scrimmage, with four Lions skill players reaching double figures.

Gibbs’ 1,261 yards from scrimmage invalidated the legitimacy of draft critics, his potential clear long before coaches believed he reached his ceiling.

The Lions found an asset in Gibbs – and Gibbs, a fit like a glove with the Lions.

“We are a run-first offense, full of play action and retreat [passing],” said Gibbs. “[Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson] really relies on running the ball first, so he wants us to develop that. ‘Cause without the game running, [in the] By passing the game you could support everyone.

“He just knows how to plan it. It’s crazy. He knows how to get everyone involved and makes it successful.”

What does Gibbs mean when the Lions chase the brightest lights?

The Lions’ offense has so many weapons that it can be easy to overlook Gibbs’ contribution to its success.

After all, he joined a roster with the league’s best offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus, and a quarterback who threw for 4,575 yards (second) and 30 touchdowns (fourth) last year, with his passer rating of 97.7, ranking ninth best in the league.

Without a doubt, the Lions generate success from a diverse set of players that Johnson likes to scheme in a way intentionally designed to confuse defenses.

How many different plays can the Lions make in the same formation? How many different movements can precede the same piece?

Detroit intends to outsmart and win while the franchise lasts.

But there are games, like the Lions’ Monday night game last season, when Goff is playing very well – he would finish with 272 yards, a touchdown and an interception – and St.’s 108 yards than touchdowns.

Gibbs had returned from a hamstring injury weeks earlier and was ready to punish Las Vegas in the air and on the ground, eventually totaling 189 yards on 31 touches.

But his run late in the third quarter wasn’t just a game-high 27-yard play, nor was it “just” the touchdown that extended the Lions’ multiple-score lead.

It was also a rush of energy for the Lions to see the unbridled energy with which Gibbs charged forward.

Montgomery saw more than just a play — he saw a pro-caliber trait unlocked in a player who wasn’t long out of college.

He would see it again when Gibbs stopped a Vikings backside linebacker from blowing up a play and even later, in the playoffs, on a timely block against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Expect Gibbs’ combination of hard-nosed running, a growing receiving repertoire and an increasingly reliable pass-blocking resume to earn him even more snaps in his second year in Detroit than he did in his first.

Expect him to be a key piece on a Detroit franchise eager to show that last year’s NFC championship berth was no accident. It was a sign.

The Lions saw each of the skills they wanted Gibbs to contribute during his rookie season. Now, he intends to use it with more consistency and difficulty.

“When they start reading the first level [of the defense] and fill out the second level, which turns into explosives, it’s time,” Montgomery said of a running back’s ability to diagnose not only defensive linemen but linebackers as well. “You are very proud to observe the development from the point of view of mental error. Once the mental errors are reduced to none or almost none, you feel comfortable with him playing.”