It took him seven weeks, but Jahmyr Gibbs finally exploded -- and the timing couldn't have been better.
The Lions' star running back racked up 136 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 17 attempts and added three catches for 82 yards, good for a combined total of 218 scrimmage yards in a 24-9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night in Detroit.
"It was huge. You felt like this was coming," Lions coach Dan Campbell told reporters of Gibbs' performance after the victory. "You felt like this has been building and as he gets in better shape and starts getting his feet under him and starts getting a feel of it – starts breaking some tackles. Every week, you feel like it's gotten closer and closer. Tonight was the night where he just busted one of these out of there and there'll be no looking back.
"I think he's just going to continue to do this. So, our O-line did a good job in areas of getting into the second level. Certainly, we got to continue to improve there but that's all you got to do. If you can get him the second level, he'll do the rest. We're fortunate because our O-line can open some holes in and we have the receivers that block. So, the rest is up to him. One-on-one with a safety."
On a night when Jared Goff never appeared comfortable and was responsible for two giveaways, Gibbs' contributions were essential to Detroit's cause. He didn't wait long to get involved, either, catching a 30-yard pass on the second play from scrimmage to key the Lions' opening scoring drive, and followed it up by breaking through Tampa Bay's defense for a 78-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to give Detroit a 14-0 lead.
"Those long ones are fun to watch," Goff said of Gibbs' 78-yarder. "I feel like I got the best seat in the house just to like see him hit the hole and then just like take off. I don't know how many safeties in the league could catch him. So, as soon as he gets there, it's over and he's gone. It felt like last year, the Titans run, the 70-yard run. It was very similar, where it was just like him on the safety, and it's over. Yeah, it's pretty cool. He's dang fast and it's fun to watch."
In the end, those efforts would have been enough to win the game. Gibbs wasn't done there, though, scoring another touchdown by finding a small lane and spinning out of traffic before falling across the goal line for his second end zone visit.
When the dust settled, Gibbs had piled up enough yards to make some recent history. His 218 scrimmage yards were the most by a Lions player since Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson tallied 329 yards in 2013. Gibbs gained 125 yards (+77 over expected) and two touchdowns on nine runs between the tackles, exceeding his previous career high by 44 yards, and bested his own career-high mark in receiving yards after the catch (94), per Next Gen Stats.
The explosion may have felt overdue for some Lions fans (and perhaps some fantasy football managers who invested a top pick in Gibbs) who became accustomed to big games from Gibbs over the last two years. Entering Monday, Gibbs hadn't broken 100 rushing yards or cleared 110 scrimmage yards in a game in the 2025 season.
But as his coach and quarterback said afterward, they knew it was only a matter of time for a player as talented as Gibbs.
"I think we've just been really close on a few things and you saw some of them pop today," Goff said. "I say that, and there's still like a few where you're like, man, we were like that close to even another one popping and being there. Jahmyr played well though. He played really well. Getting that guy in space is a dangerous thing for defenses. They want to play man coverage, go ahead and put a linebacker on him and good luck."
Tampa Bay didn't have enough luck on its side to prevent Gibbs (and a remarkably ferocious Lions defense) from burying them Monday night. Detroit fans likely hope that becomes the norm for the rest of the 2025 season.
