The Detroit Lions have the NFL’s best offense. They enter Saturday’s NFC divisional round matchup against the Washington Commanders with the league’s top-scoring offense and No. 2 total offense. The Lions average over two more points per game than the next closest team.
On Saturday, more help could be on the way for Detroit. Running back David Montgomery is slated to return from a Week 15 knee injury. When Montgomery was injured, many thought his season could be over, but he chose an aggressive rehab over surgery.
That’s terrific news for the Lions. Right?
Yes and no. Why? Montgomery’s return would potentially mean fewer carries for the dynamic Jahmyr Gibbs. Montgomery and Gibbs shared the backfield load for the past two years with great success. However, when Montgomery went down, Gibbs rushed for 365 yards and five touchdowns and also caught 13 passes for 122 yards and another touchdown — in three games. He averaged close to six yards per rushing attempt.
That’s not to disparage Montgomery, a more physical and bruising runner. However, if you’re offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, do you want to take touches away from Gibbs right now?
The Commanders struggle against the run. Gibbs and Montgomery should succeed against Washington, but would it be in the Commanders’ best interest if Montgomery’s return means the Lions will split carries between Gibbs and Montgomery?
Montgomery is difficult to tackle due to his physical nature. Gibbs is much more elusive and more of a big-play threat. If you’re Washington, you want Gibbs on the field less. Again, that’s not to disrespect Mongtomery, who is capable of rushing for over 100 yards with multiple scores, but Gibbs is different.
Regardless of which gets the most carries for Detroit on Saturday, Washington’s defense will have its hands full. In the three games before Montgomery’s injury, Gibbs carried the ball nine, 15 and eight times, respectively. Over the last three games, Gibbs had 77 total touches.
The less the Commanders see of Jahmyr Gibbs, the better.
