Lions’ 2023 Review: Montgomery, Gibbs Pairing Proves Electric

When the Detroit Lions chose Jahmyr Gibbs No. 12 overall in the 2023 draft, Brad Holmes drew lots of criticism. Nearly a calendar year later, the Lions’ decision-maker is being commended for his choice. Gibbs turned out to be a home-run selection and the perfect complement for free-agent signing David Montgomery.

Together, the duo took Detroit’s run game from excellent to great, and the unit exhibited top potential. The group, under new supervision from first-year running backs coach Scottie Montgomery, produced outstanding performance and nearly had a pair of 1,000-yard rushers. Here’s a look at where things stand for the Lions at the running back position moving into the summer.

David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs exceeded expectations in their first year together. Despite both missing games due to injury, they nearly missed becoming the first pair of teammates to carry for 1,000 yards in a season since Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram did so in 2019.

Both players topped 1,000 scrimmage yards, however. In addition to their activity on the ground, both players played major roles in the passing game.

Under head coach Dan Campbell, the Lions have always had a run-first identity. It worked well last season with Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift, but this year’s tandem proved to be an upgrade.

Detroit had an emphasis on creating more explosive plays in the run game, and it achieved just that. Including postseason games, the duo combined for 27 runs of 15 yards or more, and both averaged over three yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus.

By comparison, Swift and Williams combined for 15 rushes of 15 yards or more last season. Williams also averaged just 2.78 yards after contact in that campaign.

To show exactly how much the unit improved, Swift and Williams combined for 54 forced missed tackles in 2022. Across the team’s 20 games this year, Montgomery forced 54 missed tackles on his own, while Gibbs forced 46.

Detroit’s offensive line paved the run lanes, but the Lions were able to generate more explosive runs because of the open-field agility of both running backs.

This is precisely the reason for hope for Detroit’s backfield. Each will have another year of experience, and the chemistry between them doesn’t call for one player to undertake the majority of the job. As a result, the Lions can avoid putting too many miles on one player’s tires moving ahead.

With how rough the game of football is, there’s an inherent risk while running between the tackles. Both Montgomery and Gibbs experienced injuries that sidelined them for many games this season.

Detroit was lucky in that it only had to play one game where both were out at the same time, which was a Week 6 tilt at Tampa Bay. In that game, Montgomery went down with a first-quarter injury, and Gibbs was inactive.

As a result, the Lions resorted to Craig Reynolds, who produced a vital block on a touchdown but finished with just 15 rushing yards on 10 carries.

While injuries are always a concern and part of the game, this summer has a bigger tale brewing. Guards Jonah Jackson and Graham Glasgow are free agents, meaning the team’s formidable offensive line might have a different look in 2024.

The Lions will be confronted with either retaining or rebuilding their offensive line. If one or both interior linemen decide to go, repeating this year’s performance will be a problem.

What is the ceiling for a complete season of Jahmyr Gibbs? The rookie started sluggish, exceeding 50 rushing yards just once in his first four games. He would also miss weeks 5 and 6 with an injury. However, the lights started to come on against Baltimore as he scored his first career touchdown.

The following game, he erupted for 152 rushing yards against Las Vegas (in game 8). From that point on, he was electric.

Now, the Lions will expect to have a complete season of exceptional output from the running back. He still managed to fall only 55 yards short of 1,000 yards, despite missing two games and starting so badly.

If he can pull together a complete season of production in 2024, his ability in the run and pass game would keep the Lions’ offense flowing at a level comparable to how the team closed the season.

As for the depth behind him and Montgomery, Reynolds has proven to be a tremendous asset. He knows the team’s pass protections and can fill in at a moment’s notice.

If the Lions are looking to add competition at this position via the draft, they might do it by drafting a player in the later rounds. Two FCS products, New Hampshire’s Dylan Laube and South Dakota State’s Isaiah Davis, are versatile athletes with tremendous big-play potential.