The Jahmyr Gibbs versus Bijan Robinson argument is still alive, but right now Robinson has the cleaner case for the league’s top running back conversations.
That’s not just coming from the box score, either. Micah Parsons recently backed Robinson over Gibbs in an MVP discussion on his podcast, "The Edge with Micah Parsons," saying he thinks Robinson is "doing it with less."
"He just got a quarterback. He just got that.
And he still went for 200. But also, Gibbs is surrounded by Amon-Ra St.
Brown, Jared Goff - very underrated - [Sam] LaPorta, Jamo. I'm not saying those players make him worse.
I'm just saying what Bijan has done without having that elite quarterback play, it just adds a little bit more value."
Derrick Henry also added fuel to the Robinson side, telling reporters he thinks Robinson is "the best in the game right now" among running backs.
The on-field gap is being shaped by more than just talent. Gibbs hasn’t been able to fully tap into his ceiling because Detroit’s run game has not given him the kind of clean looks that let him rip downhill with force. Robinson, by contrast, has looked more explosive.
Through four weeks, Gibbs has 353 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 80 carries. Robinson has 494 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 84 carries. The eye-catching difference is efficiency: Robinson is averaging nearly six yards per carry, while Gibbs is at 4.4.
Gibbs has the edge as a receiver, at least for now. He’s posted 187 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns, while Robinson has 120 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. Even with that advantage, the margin between the two remains absurdly thin.
What separates Robinson at the moment is the big-play element. Atlanta is working with a 74% rushing success rate, while the Lions are at 72%, a small difference that still shows up in the rankings, with Atlanta sitting 11th and Detroit 20th.
Robinson already has four runs of more than 20 yards and two runs of more than 40. Gibbs has one run over 20 yards and none over 40. Gibbs’ longest run is 21 yards; Robinson’s is 59.
Detroit’s blocking and overall scheme are a major part of that picture. Once Cade Mays is back, the expectation is that the Lions will lean more into man-duo looks for Gibbs, which should give him a better chance to hit explosive plays. If that happens, Gibbs can push himself back into the OPOY conversation at minimum.
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