For as phenomenal as he’s been throughout his career, Jahmyr Gibbs has yet to torch the Green Bay Packers.
The Detroit Lions running back hasn’t topped 68 rushing yards in any of his six career games against Green Bay. Across all six of those games, he averages 48.2 rushing yards per game and 3.4 yards per carry, and 20 receiving yards.
The man who has the NFL record for most touchdowns before turning 25 has just two against the division rival.
In terms of the raw stats, Green Bay has been average against the run. They’ve allowed the 15th-most rushing yards per game in the NFL and the 19th-highest yards per carry with four. Their nine rushing touchdowns allowed is tied for the second-highest total in the league.
Green Bay is just 22nd in the NFL in EPA per rush, however.
This Sunday, Detroit is looking for its first win against the Packers since 2024— and Gibbs’ first career big day against Green Bay.
Gibbs needs to shake off Packers slump to help Lions over hump
"Woo. He's faster than everybody,” Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon said of Gibbs. “He has elite vision, I would say. He can make any cut that you want, he's got really good contact balance, he's stronger. For not like a huge back, I think he breaks a lot of tackles. And in the pass game, he's a run-and-pass threat. He's a really good player. Big-time challenge."
For what it’s worth, Gibbs asked “Who’s that?” when asked about Gannon by reporters this week. It seemed like an honest mistake and Gannon’s name had legitimately slipped his memory, but it was a funny detail that’s worth memory-holing as Sunday draws near.
Green Bay’s defense has been hit hard by superstar edge Micah Parsons’ continued absence due to a torn ACL, and stud linebacker Edgerrin Cooper’s torn achilles suffered this season. Linebacker Zaire Franklin has also not worked out well as an offseason replacement for Quay Walker.
Still, the Packers have bottled up the likes of Breece Hall, Javonte Williams and Bucky Irving this season. But against the Atlanta Falcons and Bijan Robinson— the only other running back in the league in the same tier as Gibbs— the Packers were gashed for 242 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Detroit is 3-0 when Gibbs touches the ball 25 or more times this year. They’re 0-2 when he doesn’t. With how much their defense has struggled— and how good Jordan Love and the Packers’ passing offense has been— it’s imperative they feed Gibbs in a way that allows them to control the game flow offensively.
The Lions’ offense has been humming this year. They’re tied for first in the NFL in points per game, are fourth in yards per game and third in EPA per play. Gibbs– who leads the league in touchdowns and is third in yards from scrimmage— has been the engine of it all.
Detroit’s offensive line looks much improved this season and is getting center Cade Mays back this week. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has found myriad ways to get Gibbs the ball. His next objective is to unleash Gibbs against Green Bay for the first time.
READ MORE: Lions' Cade Mays decision is the right move to avoid a messy Week 7 performance
“He always has us in the right looks,” Gibbs said of Petzing. “He's always going to get us prepared for every game. So, we're just going to listen to what he does and we're going to operate.”
There’s no margin for error in the NFC North. All four of its teams would make the playoffs if the season ended today. The Lions strangely have not drawn a divisional game until now, and we’re in Week 7.
This is by far their biggest game of the season. After going 2-4 against the NFC North last year, the Lions absolutely have to right the ship in divisional play. Getting Gibbs going would be a great start in that department.
“You definitely want to get those wins back and get back how it used to be when we took over the division,” Gibbs said. “I think every team wants to do that.”
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