Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs set the NFL record for most touchdowns before turning 25 on Sunday. But Lions coach Dan Campbell says it was a teammate’s touchdown that showed what a special player Gibbs is.
On a fourth-and-1 touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Sam LaPorta, Gibbs made the key block in pass protection that gave Goff time to pass. Campbell said after watching the film he sought Gibbs out to praise his blocking on that play.
“I hit him up this morning,” Campbell said. “I said, one of my favorite clips of everything you did — he had a ton of eye-opening plays — was his his protection route on the fourth-and-1, LaPorta’s touchdown. That was outstanding. To me, that’s why he’s different. All this other stuff, of course he’s got that and it’s rare. It’s that. He’s unselfish and he’s tough and he’s willing to do anything for his teammates. And he might as well have scored on that because he’s as excited as anybody is that he helped get LaPorta a touchdown and protect Goff so he could make that throw. That’s unselfishness.”
Gibbs ran for 151 yards and caught five passes for 56 yards against the Cardinals, and he’s currently leading the NFL with 747 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns. But Gibbs makes highlight-reel plays even when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands.