Can This Revamped Backfield Mirror the Success of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery?

Kevin Szafraniec
March 21, 2025

After experiencing their share of rough patches over the past 30 years, the Lions now have one of the most complete rosters in the NFL. Combining the top-scoring offense and seventh-ranked scoring defense, Detroit’s collection of talent led them to the best record in the league in 2024.

Chief among Detroit’s weapons were the backfield duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. While most elite offenses generally focus on a high-flying passing game, the running backs were the engine that drove the Lions’ offense in 2024. However, Gibbs and Montgomery did not do it on their own, as they had the luxury of running behind one of the most dominant offensive lines in the league.

It is no secret that the NFL is a copycat league. With that in mind, if teams are going to “borrow” any concepts from another team, it only makes sense that they would try to duplicate what that team does best — e.g., the Lions’ run game. For one team that already finds themselves within shouting distance of Detroit, will one or two tweaks to their run game be enough for them to supplant the Lions at the top of the mountain in 2025?

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Kevin Szafraniec

Lead Writer and Full-time Cat Dad. Sneakerhead, Record Collector, Beatmaker, Lord of the Rings Superfan, and Jeopardy Enthusiast in my free time. Follow me on X and Bluesky @thecatdadff

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