Jahmyr Gibbs didn’t get off to a flying start against the Jets, but he finished like the game belonged to him.
New York came in with a plan that made life difficult for the Lions’ back. With former Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn leading a defense that already looked sharp early in the season, Gibbs was largely kept in check as a runner. He had just two carries that went more than 10 yards, and another 18-yard gain was wiped out by a penalty.
That didn’t stop Detroit from leaning on him when the game tightened. Gibbs answered with three touchdowns in the second half, including two rushing scores and the receiving touchdown that decided it.
The Lions didn’t force the issue early. After Gibbs was handed the ball only twice in the first quarter, they started working him into the passing game in the second with a screen that was built to move the defense one way and send him the other.
Pre-snap motion from Amon-Ra St. Brown helped create an extra blocker and also shifted the Jets’ eyes.
Jared Goff faked the handoff to Gibbs, booted right, and helped sell the action while Gibbs leaked into the left flat. Isaac TeSlaa and St.
Brown both did their jobs in space, and Gibbs caught the ball with room to run before the play-side safety made a touchdown-saving tackle.
The biggest run came in the third quarter with Detroit up 10-7 and driving in Jets territory. On second-and-4 from the New York 17, Gibbs turned a zone run into a spectacular score that brought Barry Sanders to mind.
The play nearly broke down immediately. Juice Scruggs and Tate Ratledge didn’t get a block on the play-side defensive tackle, which opened a lane for Darrell Jackson Jr. to hit Gibbs in the backfield.
Joseph Ossai, left unblocked by design on the backside, was also waiting when Gibbs tried to bounce right.
That’s where Gibbs separated himself. He slipped Jackson and Ossai, spun the run back left, and then outraced the rest of the defense. Goff and Jameson Williams tried to help spring him, but Gibbs did the heavy lifting himself on the way to the end zone.
Then came the game-winner.
After the Jets tied things at 24 with a little more than four minutes left, the Lions answered with a 49-yard strike from Goff to Isaac TeSlaa. Gibbs was then stuffed for a one-yard loss and caught a short pass on second down to set up third-and-5 from the Jets’ 11. Detroit hurried into a trips look and snapped it quickly, forcing New York into a call that opened the door.
Detroit had all three wideouts working vertical routes, with Sam LaPorta on a crosser, Isaac TeSlaa on a deep whip route and Amon-Ra St. Brown on a corner.
The design was aimed at the flat defender. If he stayed with Gibbs, one of the routes outside would come open.
Instead, the Jets sent a nickel blitz and dropped their middle linebacker into coverage, and he had no shot at getting over in time. Goff threw hot to Gibbs in the flat, and with man coverage trailing the vertical routes, Gibbs had nothing but grass in front of him on the way to the end zone.
Through three games, Gibbs has already piled up more than 300 rushing yards and six all-purpose touchdowns, a strong early case for being the Lions’ most valuable player. There are fair questions about whether the workload can last, but there’s no debate about his importance. Even without a signature 20-plus-yard run, he still took over when Detroit needed him most.
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