FIRST DOWN: GIBBS' BIG DAY
Jahmyr Gibbs keeps proving week after week that he's one of the best weapons in the NFL.
"That dude is as good as they come in this league," Lions quarterback Jared Goff said of his running back after Detroit's 34-27 win in overtime Sunday against the New York Giants. "He's making his claim across the league as one of the best players regardless of position. We're lucky to have him. He's so electric."
Gibbs produced 264 scrimmage yards, establishing a new single-game franchise record among running backs, and is just the seventh player in NFL history to produce a game with 260-plus scrimmage yards with two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown.
After Detroit clawed their way back late to force OT, Gibbs took the first handoff 69 yards to the house to give the Lions their first lead of the game at 34-27. He finished with 219 yards rushing and two touchdowns with three runs of 49-plus yards. He also caught 11 passes for 45 yards and a touchdown.
Sunday was Gibbs' 12th career multi-touchdown game, passing Billy Sims (11) for the second-most by a Lions running back.
"Gibbs is electric," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said after the game. "When he found a crease, he was headed to the house. This was not about first downs and picking up a few yards. This guy is going to the house, and he's got the juice to make it happen. He's a difference maker. He bailed us out today."
SECOND DOWN: CLUTCH KICK
In his postgame interview on the field, kicker Jake Bates said he felt like he owed his teammates and the Detroit Lions fans one. Boy did he deliver.
His 59-yard field goal with just 33 seconds left in the game was a career long and tied the game at 27-27 helping to send it into overtime. Bates was 2-for-2 kicking field goals against the Giants, also making from 37 yards as time expired in the first half. He was perfect making all four of his extra points.
Bates is now 15-of-19 kicking field goals on the year and 37-for-39 on extra points.
"He's clutch," Campbell said of Bates. "When we need him most, he goes out there and he makes the kick for us."
THIRD DOWN: DEFENSIVE EFFORT
It wasn't the defensive performance we've been used to seeing from this defense of late as New York racked up 517 total yards of offense with 395 passing yards, including ten explosive pass plays of 20-plus yards. Credit Giants quarterback Jameis Winston for a nice game with a ton of clutch throws.
But as they've done so many times this season, Detroit's defense found a way to come up with a play when they needed it most.
A comeback was going to be nearly impossible if the defense didn't lock down and keep the Giants out of the end zone late in regulation on a 4th & goal play from the 6-yard line. Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin made a great play to force an incompletion to give the offense and Bates a chance to tie it late.
In OT after Detroit scored first, edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson made the biggest play of the game, sacking Winston on 4th & 5 from the Detroit 27-yard line to end the game and preserve the comeback win.
The Lions' defense came into Sunday's game ranked in the top 10 in most statistical categories. It wasn't their most consistent performance, especially against the pass, but they found a way to step up and get stops late. That's what good defenses do.
FOURTH DOWN: FIELD POSITION
Campbell was aggressive on the road last week in the loss to Philadelphia, going for it on fourth down five times (0-for-5).
Sunday, Campbell took more of the field position and defensive approach as they punted five times and didn't attempt a fourth down try. He trusted punter Jack Fox and his special teams, and they rewarded him by pinning New York inside their 10-yard line three times with all five punts finishing inside the 20-yard line.
"Fox was outstanding today," Campbell said. "I don't know how many he had inside the 10. They were back there backed up. That was going to need to be big for us. I just thought Fox was big time for us today."
