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DETROIT -- From the moment Jared Goff handed him the ball, Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs knew he was headed for the end zone -- and there was nothing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could do about it. With 6:01 left before halftime, the Lions held a 7-0 lead and faced first-and-10 from their own 22. Gibbs saw nothing but a black wall — his stout offensive line — pushing the Buccaneers’ defensive front far away from the line of scrimmage. The third-year back then gashed them right up the middle, hitting a top speed of 23.23 miles per hour on a career-long, 78-yard touchdown run that gave the Lions a 14-0 lead after a Jake Bates extra point. It was one of many highlights Gibbs had in a historic performance that helped guide the Lions to a 24-9 win over the Buccaneers at Ford Field. Gibbs finished with a career-high 218 all-purpose yards, including 17 carries for 136 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while also catching three passes for 82 yards, including one for 30. “It feels good,” Gibbs told reporters about his performance. “I like being in space a lot. That’s where I work best.” The Lions running back also became the 10th player in NFL history to produce a game with at least 135 yards rushing, 80 receiving yards and two rushing touchdowns. Former NFL running back Chris Johnson was the last player to achieve this feat (2009). Rocking a Detroit Pistons Cade Cunningham jersey and Detroit Tigers fitted cap while speaking to reporters, the speedy running back didn’t feel any different coming into Monday night’s game against the Buccaneers despite how pivotal the matchup was. There was no extra motivation for him to perform -- no special feeling that he was on the verge of a historic game. For Gibbs, it was just business as usual. “I always feel like I’m capable of doing that,” Gibbs said. “It’s just some games work out like that, some games don’t. But ultimately, I’m just trying to do what it takes to help us win.” Gibbs’ performance was a key factor in the Lions keeping their streak alive of not losing back-to-back games since Week 8 of the 2022 season. While he doesn’t care, per se, about putting up the video game numbers he did versus the Buccaneers, he does recognize the significance of it. “This is my first 200 total yards from scrimmage game,” the soft-spoken running back said. “So I mean, it is kind of special.”
