Amid all the other hype around the Detroit Lions, let alone the preseason hype for backfield mate Jahmyr Gibbs, it's easy to overlook David Montgomery. But internally, he's clearly seen and appreciated for what he brings to the table.
Heading into the season opener, running backs coach Scottie Montgomery praised Montgomery for his work in training camp.
"He came back just as polished as a guy I’ve seen come back. I think he’s probably had the most consistent camp of dang near anybody, not only on our team but out of everyone. And when I say consistent, I mean consistently great, not consistently good or average."
Head coach Dan Campbell added to the sentiment.
#Lions HC Dan Campbell on David Montgomery:
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) September 6, 2024
“He’s a workhorse. He’s gonna be there when you need him the most. He’s a guy that can finish games out for you. He can start the game out and give you the tempo you need and the demeanor, set the tone, and then he can finish it out… pic.twitter.com/8IZYvrljhL
When it counted most on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Rams, in overtime, the Lions leaned on Montgomery. He had 45 yards on five carries on the eight-play, 70-yard drive that ended with him scoring the game-winning touchdown, as the Lions exerted their will on a tired Rams' defensive line to never allow Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles offense to even see the field in the extra period.
David Montgomery showed the rest of the league his value vs. Rams
After the game, Montgomery's talked about the groove he felt in overtime.
"I was in the mode though," Montgomery said. "I was already locked in at that point where I felt like I had to prove myself to myself and I felt like that was the greatest opportunity for it to happen – for me to showcase what I'm capable of, but at the same time showing how much grit that that offense and this team has."
Quarterback Jared Goff and left tackle Taylor Decker both called Montgomery a tone-setter after the game Sunday night. Center Frank Ragnow and both guards( Kevin Zeitler and Graham Glasgow) each said something along the lines of how Montgomery drives them to be even better at their jobs (h/t to Will Burchfield of 97.1 The Ticket).
"Just bad*ss," Ragnow said. "Just a bad*ss dude who frickin’ runs with a purpose. It seems like every run, he’s making someone pay if they want to try and tackle him. It’s an honor to block for him. Just violent."
"He’s so focused. Zeitler said. "So neutral, in the right way: just goes, and goes, and goes. You keep watching as an O-lineman and you just want to block better for him, you want to keep finishing and keep pushing, because he wants to keep going."
"David is like a man possessed at some points in the game," Glasgow said. "Even when he was running earlier in the game, he doesn’t care, he’ll put his head down, he’ll try to run through somebody. And it’s awesome to see. It’s easy to want to block for someone who’s going to try to get the extra yards as much as he can. He’s a tank."
Montgomery has been a great fit for the Lions from the start since he signed in 2023, and his value is consistently right there to see even if he's easy to forget about on a national scale. On the Sunday night stage, when it mattered most in overtime, Montgomery seized the opportunity to show the rest of the league what he's made of, once and for all.