Jahmyr

Gibbs

Gibbs was explosive in this one, ripping off five plays for 10 or more yards on the afternoon. He lost a key fumble late in the second half that would have had the Lions on the Bears’ 13-yard line with roughly a minute left on the game clock. Gibbs saw only four opportunities in the second half, but the Lions leaned heavily on David Montgomery with the game well in hand. Gibbs will be a fringe RB1 in Week 14 when the Lions play host to the Packers on Thursday night.

Gibbs’ third two-score day on the ground of the season was his first since Week 7. It was also the first time he reached 20 carries this year, though that had a lot to do with David Montgomery missing the final 20 minutes with a shoulder injury. Deemed questionable, Montgomery returned to the sideline still wearing his helmet, but the Lions understandably opted against risking further injury with the game comfortably in hand. Gibbs will be a Week 13 RB1 regardless of Montgomery’s Thanksgiving Day status against the Bears, but he will crash the top 3-4 if D-Mont is sidelined.

Gibbs’ highlight of the day was a 54-yard catch-and-run that nearly went for a touchdown. He blazed up the right sideline and cut it back into the middle of the field, only to be taken down by his shoestrings, preventing an incredible touchdown. Per NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Gibbs hit 21.8 MPH on the play, giving him two of the six-fastest plays of the season. Amon-Ra St. Brown would go on to score a few plays later. Gibbs already had a touchdown of his own, but fantasy managers may want to look away from David Montgomery’s box score as the bruising back punched in two short touchdowns of his own. With a great matchup versus the Colts on tap, both Gibbs and Montgomery will have RB1 projections for Week 12.

As is typically the case with the Detroit backfield, David Montgomery did most of the heavy lifting in the first three quarters before giving way to the lightning of Gibbs with the game on the line. Gibbs was the driving force of the offense on the final two possessions of the game, each of which ended in field goals to send the Lions to a shocking victory after trailing 23-7 at the half. Gibbs could find more room early in Week 11 when the Lions host the floundering Jaguars.

Gibbs put his patented explosion to kick off the second half. A few plays after he broke off an 18-yard run, Gibbs ripped off another big gain for a 15-yard score to push the Lions lead to 24-3 in a soggy win over the Packers. Gibbs has found the end zone in three straight games and scored in all but two games this season. He’ll profile as a fringe RB1 in Week 10 against the Texans.

Gibbs had the biggest play of the game, breaking a 70-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The second-year pro was consistently able to gain chunk yardage on the ground and was the preferred option to help close out the game with David Montgomery coming into this game a bit hobbled. Neither running back was asked to do too much, and they should both be started with confidence next week against the Packers.

The Lions briefly lost David Montgomery to a knee injury in the first quarter. Gibbs quickly made the most of the vacant backfield with a 45-yard sprint up the middle of the field for a touchdown. Montgomery eventually returned but had his reps limited. He saw nine carries in this game which was his lowest attempt total this year. Gibbs entered Week 7 with fewer rush attempts than Montgomery. His electric performance could earn him more work going forward, but the Lions have been wildly successful with their committee approach to running the ball. Gibbs will stay in the RB1 ranks for his upcoming matchup with the Titans.

Montgomery had his leg twisted in a pile of linemen on a short rush attempt in the first quarter. He limped off the field with the help of trainers. Montgomery was spotted working on a bike after getting checked out by medical personnel, meaning he may attempt to return later in the game. Jahmyr Gibbs will handle the bulk of the touches in his absence.

Gibbs was more involved in the passing game than in previous weeks, racking up three catches after failing to record a catch in his previous two games. Gibbs didn’t find the end zone in this one, making for a frustrating fantasy day, but his 15 total touches led all Lions players in Week 6. He’ll have high-end RB2 upside in Week 7 against the Vikings.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal includes $10.5 million in guarantees. Montgomery wasn’t set to hit free agency until after the 2025 season. The Lions signed Montgomery to a three-year deal in free agency after his rookie contract with Chicago expired. He has been one of the league’s most productive backs since then, racking up 1,286 yards and 17 touchdowns on 282 yards in the regular season. His role as the short-yardage back in the Detroit backfield will continue to prevent Jahmyr Gibbs from truly breaking out.