Lions Rookie RB Jahmyr Gibbs Modeled His Game After Thursday Night Opponent

Rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs will be playing in prime time for the second time already in his young NFL career when the Detroit Lions visit the Green Bay Packers for Week 4’s rendition of Thursday Night Football. Standing on the opposite sideline will be a player Gibbs tried to emulate on his way to the NFL.

Gibbs highlighted why Packers’ running back Aaron Jones’ game reminded him of his own while he played college football at Alabama.

“I would say my biggest strength is catching out of the backfield,” Gibbs told reporters ahead of the 2022 college football season. “That’s what the NFL likes, so I try to do my best to model my game after that— Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Aaron Jones, guys like that who catch it out of the backfield.”

Jones has long frustrated NFL defenses with his dual-threat ability out of the backfield. The 28-year-old is one of only two running backs in the NFL, along with Austin Ekeler of the Los Angeles Chargers, with 45-plus catches and multiple TD receptions in each of the last four seasons. The seventh-year pro has 7,254 yards and 62 yards from scrimmage in his career.

Before Gibbs and Jones take the field Thursday night, here’s what fans should know about both backs.

Gibbs Stats Through Three Games

The Detroit Lions selected Gibbs with the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft. The 21-year-old’s ability to make dynamic plays on the ground and through the air was a big reason why.

After two seasons at Georgia Tech, Gibbs transferred to Alabama ahead of his junior year. Smart move. The 5-foot-9, 200-pounder accounted for 1,370 yards and 10 touchdowns from scrimmage in his one season with the Crimson Tide. Gibbs caught a team-high 44 passes for Alabama while also leading the team in rushing. NFL draft analysts raved over Gibbs’ soft hands and agility leading up to the draft, when the Lions made Gibbs the second running back off the board.

Before the season, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said that Detroit may use Gibbs in some unexpected ways. Through three weeks, though, Detroit seems to still be easing Gibbs into its offense early in his rookie season.

Gibbs has 139 yards (4.48 yards per carry) on the ground and 59 (on 10 catches) through the air through his first three NFL games. He has yet to reach the end zone in the NFL, but Gibbs is coming off his most productive performance as a pro. In Detroit’s Week 3 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Gibbs acted as the team’s lead back and ran for a career-high 80 yards.

Running back David Montgomery, a free agent signing by the Lions in the offseason, missed Week 3 with a thigh injury.

“We will get Gibbs going as he gets more comfortable,” Johnson said before Week 2. “We always have plays tagged for him going into the game, but we feel really strongly about [Montgomery] as well, so that whole combination, that one-two punch is really good for us. We had them both on the field at the same time a little bit [Week 1]. We’ll probably continue to do that over the course of the season, and we’ll see where Gibbs best suits us each week.”

Montgomery is expected to return to the field and play against the Packers, NFL Network reported Thursday morning. Gibbs will be back to splitting carries with the fifth-year running back. But there may be plenty of touches to go around for the Lions running backs.

The Packers defense ranks 27th in the league in rushing defense and 18th in yards per attempt allowed this season. For Gibbs, that could be the making of his breakout NFL performance.

“He’s something special,” Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell said of Gibbs earlier this season. “I’m just thankful that he’s on our team and our side and definitely grateful that we get to watch him grow every day.”

Jones Returning to Field for Packers

Jones, like Montgomery, is also expected to return from an injury on Thursday night, according to the NFL Network. The Pro Bowler pulled his hamstring in a season-opening win over the Chicago Bears. After a two-touchdown performance in his season debut, Jones has been sidelined the past two weeks.

Jones will be back to splitting carries with A.J. Dillon and providing the big-play ability that he showed in Week 1.

“He’s a huge playmaker,” Packers QB Jordan Love said of Jones this week. “You saw Week 1, just getting him the ball ends up in a good play most of the time, so it’s going to be huge just for everybody, just help out. He’s going to be a big playmaker for us and probably just make the offense be a little more explosive when he’s out there.”

The Lions and Packers play at 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday. The game will air on Amazon Prime. Both NFC North teams enter the contest 2-1.