The Detroit Lions have been searching for an answer behind Jahmyr Gibbs at running back most of the season. Finally, they may have found something they can lean on long-term.
After a run of inconsistent performances, Sione Vaki, an overlooked member of the much maligned 2024 draft class, stepped up. He delivered his best performance as a pro, rushing for 65 yards in a 19-15 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
While Vaki didn't score a touchdown or bust off the huge runs that Gibbs did in the game, his production was beyond critical. Plenty of his rushes in the fourth-quarter were of the bruising variety, which took a physical toll on the Minnesota defense.
In addition to that, Vaki was elite as a pass blocker in the game, and didn't look out of place at all no matter what he was doing on the field. That's a big step considering how he had looked at other times during training camp and the preseason.
Importantly, it seems that Dan Campbell took note of Vaki's performance. Entering a vital game against the Vikings, Campbell called on Vaki to deliver his best game of the year. He saw that he was able to do that, which earned him some vital trust from the staff moving forward.
"Vaki was one of the guys we challenged this week going into this game. We were going to need him. He needed to show up. (We said) he's going to need to get some carries for us, some significant carries. They needed to be real yards and he was going to need to be able to pass protect for us. I thought he took he took a big step. A huge step. He gained a lot of trust today. A ton."
That trust is now likely to parlay itself into an extended stay in Detroit's backfield. The Lions will get Isaiah Pacheco back at some point in December potentially, which will only add to the backfield's overall depth. Beyond that, there is reason to think the Lions are going to have other more pressing injury issues to address in the days ahead.
All of this seems to add up to Vaki sticking around as running back No. 2 for the Lions. Hopefully for Detroit, his emergence in this game is only the beginning as it relates to the impact he will make moving forward.
Lions may now have bigger needs than running back at trade deadline
While the second running back question has been a significant connundrum for the Lions in recent weeks, the fact is, Detroit may no longer have the luxury of targeting a luxury position when the deadline rolls around.
Concerns beyond football remain for Jack Campbell, who is a Pro Bowl linebacker. The importance of his presence on the field is immense. Without him, the Lions will certainly have depth issues at the spot. That's especially true given Jimmy Rolder is out for the year, as well as the separate issues of D.J. Wonnum, Brian Branch and D.J. Reed.
READ MORE: Despite D.J. Reed's recent ascension, Lions still need to land another starting CB
Casual thinking had Detroit as potentially most interested in cornerback depth by the deadline, but it's clear that the entire defense may need to be examined at this point relative to what Wonnum, Branch, Reed and Rolder are all dealing with and the extended loss of Campbell.
The Lions seeing Vaki step up and play well is a positive development. It might mean that they don't need to worry about one more position to fill a need ahead of the trade deadline.
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