Pride of Detroit
Last week, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell revealed that the team plans on using running back Jahmyr Gibbs as their “bell cow back,” a common term used to denote they are going to get a large majority of the work.
“He’s going to be our bell cow now. He really became more of that last year, but we’re going to hang our hat on him quite a bit,” Campbell said. “We’re going to do a lot of things we feel like he does well. Now, I’ve mentioned this before. He can run everything that we’ve got. He can run every scheme that anybody’s ever run. He’s not just an outside runner. He is not just a space runner. He can create his own space in the middle. And some of his biggest runs have been gap scheme right down the pipe where he’s had patience and found it and guys blocked it up well.
While there is no strict definition of how much work that implies, it is a shift in strategy from the Lions offense. When David Montgomery was with the team, the Lions talked about the importance of keeping both players fresh for a long and arduous season—and beyond.
“[Gibbs] is the guy we want to keep around for a very long time,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said last year. “Our current setup with David, I think that’s going to prolong his longevity.”
Apparently they don’t feel the same way with Isiah Pacheco, or they feel Gibbs has improved enough to warrant an increase in playing time.
So on this week’s episode of the PODcast, the crew debates this change in strategy. On one hand, Gibbs certainly has plenty of room for his role to grow. Despite being one of the best backs in the league, he finished just 11th in rushing attempts—80 behind league-leader Jonathan Taylor—and just 10th in touches per game (including receptions). And as Campbell pointed out, there are very few things Gibbs can’t do. That level of value and versatility should warrant a ton of touches.
On the other hand, Gibbs is on the smaller end of most running backs. His stature (5-foot-9, 202 pounds) may not hold up the same way as Taylor (5-foot-10, 226), Derrick Henry (6-foot-2, 252), Saquon Barkley (6-foot, 233), Christian McCaffrey (5-foot-11, 210), or even Bijan Robinson (5-foot-11, 215). Plus, while it’s important for the team to play well in the regular season, will Gibbs still be at his best in the playoffs if they crank his playing time up too much?
Is there some sort of happy medium the Lions can achieve, where Gibbs isn’t among the top-five leaders in touches, but he does see a significant increase in playing time to maximize his skills? We debate the topic for a large portion of the second segment of the show.
Other topics, in chronological order, include:
