The Detroit Lions were struggling in 2020 when they played their 4th season without playoffs. In the hopes of a better result, they brought in HC Dan Campbell and QB Jared Goff in 2021. The first season of the duo was lackluster with a 3-13 win-loss record. The 2nd year was a huge improvement with a 9-8 record, but they still failed to qualify for the playoffs. The HC-QB duo understood they needed more options. And they didn’t have to look very far. In their own NFC North division, Bears GM Ryan Poles wanted trade options for RB David Montgomery, and the Lions snatched him.

That set the stage for the biggest RB duos in the league. On Wednesday, September 24, the Lions QB was asked about the Gibbs-Montgomery tandem. He took shots at the Bears GM and replied, “Yeah, I mean, the day they got here, really. I’d seen D’Mo from across the field for years in Chicago, and I was shocked when they let him walk. And then, shoot, when we landed him, it was like, holy smokes, we just got one of the best backs in the league. And then you draft Gibbs, and it’s like, wow, we got two of the best backs in the league.”

However, Jared Goff did not stop there. He went on to praise both RBs and added, “They feed off each other. They’re both incredibly hardworking and good players, but it’s the energy they bring. One of them’s running well, the other guy wants to run well too. They’re as good as it gets.” That’s the big part. One mistake by Ryan Poles handed their divisional rivals one of the best RB duos.

The Lions have finished on top of the NFC North since getting David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, while the Bears have ended the last two seasons in last place in the division. Campbell drafted Gibbs in the first round (12th overall) of the 2023 NFL draft. In fact, the locker room even gave them a special name. Gibbs got Sonic for his speed, while Montgomery was nicknamed Knuckles for his strength.

There’s a lesson too here for the other teams watching. If you are looking to trade, don’t ever create competition inside the division (Saquon Barkley is another example). However, now there’s nothing Ryan Poles could do except watch the duo break records.

Jared Goff’s RBs shatter records

For nearly a century, Dutch Clark and Ernie Caddell owned the moment – the last Lions duo to score multiple rushing touchdowns in the same game, way back in 1936. On Monday night, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs ripped that page out of history and rewrote it. The Lions’ RB duo logged 34 rushes for 218 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a 38-30 win against the Ravens. It was 100% domination.

Montgomery only had 12 carries, but ran for 151 yards, the highest in his career. He even rushed the ball once for 72 yards late in the 3rd quarter. Overall, both he and Gibbs scored 2 touchdowns apiece. But the 2023 draftee, Gibbs, only rushed the ball 22 times for 67 yards, along with 5 receptions for 32 yards.

Detroit had 2 plays, 98- and 96-yard touchdown drives, the first time since 2010 a team had two such marches on Monday Night Football. The Ravens failed to stop their offense as the Lions marched ahead with 100% fourth-down efficiency in 3 plays. Even the playbook got creative. Goff pitched to Amon-Ra St. Brown, who flipped it to Gibbs for a touchdown on a gadget play they’d been saving for years.

Two weeks ago, everyone doubted the Lions’ run game. In week 3, they buried all those questions and announced that they are here to win the championship.