The Detroit Lions relied on Jahmyr Gibbs to secure a thrilling overtime victory over the New York Giants, ending the Lions’ five-game winning drought. The third-year running back delivered one of the most explosive performances in Detroit Lions history, finishing with 219 rushing yards and three total touchdowns on Sunday at Ford Field.
Despite the Giants’ defense putting early pressure on Detroit, Gibbs proved unstoppable. His game-winning touchdown came on the opening play of overtime, a 69-yard burst that sealed the Lions’ 7-4 victory and handed the Giants their sixth straight loss.
“He’s a good player,” Giants interim coach Mike Kafka said. “We knew he was going to get in some space and they were going to give him some opportunities, and we had to figure out a way to rally him up. That one, he got us.”
Gibbs’ speed was on full display throughout the game. In addition to his overtime heroics, he had two other long runs of 49 yards, one resulting in a touchdown after shedding multiple defenders. Even discounting those big plays, Gibbs maintained efficiency on the ground, averaging 4.3 yards per carry on 12 other attempts.
He also contributed in the passing game, catching 11 passes for 45 yards, showing his versatility as a dual-threat weapon for Detroit.
“He’s a very explosive player,” Giants defensive lineman Darius Alexander said. “We needed to contain him in the run game, take away the small creases and just make him stop his feet.”
But stopping Gibbs proved impossible. According to NextGenStats, he reached 22.17 mph on his game-winning touchdown, the second-fastest speed recorded by a ball carrier on a touchdown this season. Notably, Gibbs himself hit even higher speeds earlier in the season with a 78-yard touchdown run against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7.
For the Detroit Lions, Jahmyr Gibbs’ performance was the difference-maker in a tightly contested game, leaving the New York Giants struggling to contain one of the NFL’s fastest and most explosive running backs.
