The Detroit Lions have one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL, and a lot of that success stems from a backfield situation that the other 31 teams would love to have. Head coach Dan Campbell is the only bench boss who has the two-headed monster of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs at his disposal, but that isn't stopping other coaches from trying to recreate the duo's success with their team.
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter (h/t @UnderdogNFL), the Carolina Panthers wants to replicate Montgomery and Gibbs' success with their own RB duo, Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard. Schefter reported that the Panthers "have studied how the Lions" are operating their backfield usage, indicating that Detroit's success isn't going unnoticed.
Lions' RB Room Success Inspires Panthers' Imitation
Balancing two top-tier RBs' playing time might not seem easy on paper, but Campbell & Co. have found a way to make it work since Gibbs and Montgomery came to town in 2023. The dynamic duo has since become the NFL's top running back tandem, if not one of the best offensive pairs, regardless of position.
Montgomery excels as the physical option, while Gibbs is the flashier, more versatile back. Their complementary styles have led to Gibbs seeing 87 carries to Montgomery's 65 through six games, as well as 230 and 143 offensive snaps, respectively.
Here's a look at how Gibbs and Montgomery have produced in the last three seasons before Week 7, further proving why Panthers HC Dave Canales shouldn't be blamed for wanting to copy off Campbell's sheet.
Jahmy Gibbs | David Montgomery | |
|---|---|---|
Games Played | 38 | 34 |
Carries | 519 | 469 |
Rushing Yards | 2,747 | 2,124 |
Yards Per Carry | 5.3 | 4.5 |
Rushing TDs | 30 | 29 |
Receptions | 127 | 61 |
Receiving Yards | 945 | 536 |
Receiving TDs | 6 | 0 |
Yards Per Reception | 7.4 | 8.8 |
A glance at those numbers makes it easy to see why Canales wants similar success from his running back room. Dowdle is coming off back-to-back strong performances that saw him amass 473 total yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, while Hubbard has 311 scrimmage yards and two TDs in his four appearances.
But while Canales' hopes for his team are valid, the reality is that Gibbs and Montgomery are better than the Dowdle-Chubbard tandem. For starters, the Lions' pair is in their third campaign together, giving them plenty of chemistry and familiarity with Campbell's staff. Meanwhile, Dowdle only joined the Panthers this past offseason, and it remains to be seen if his recent performances are an outlier or the new norm.
On top of that, the Lions own other weapons (Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, etc.) who help open the field for their RBs. The Panthers have some nice pieces, sure, but the likes of Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, and Xavier Legette aren't at the point where they can be relied on every week, regardless of the matchup.
Perhaps the Panthers' copy-cat ways will be the beginning of the rest of the NFL following the Lions' blueprint. Unfortunately for the outsiders, they'll learn the hard way that imitation isn't always replicable, and being without Gibbs and Montgomery will likely prevent them from perfectly duplicating what's going on in the Motor City.