Losing tight end Sam LaPorta Week 10 in Washington to a back injury was a blow for the Detroit Lions' offense.
LaPorta has been one of the most productive pass-catching tight ends in the NFL the last two seasons and quickly has become a security-blanket target for quarterback Jared Goff, especially on third down.
That void left in the pass game by LaPorta's departure to injured reserve has been filled not by a backup tight end but by running back Jahymr Gibbs. Since LaPorta's absence, Gibbs has been targeted 31 times and has 26 receptions for 247 yards and a touchdown.
"Yeah, it's been great. He's certainly filled some of those targets and catches for us, and he can just do so much," Goff said of Gibbs. "And it's kind of like, he's just scratching the surface on his route running ability and what he can do out in the backfield. So, it's exciting and maybe continue to do that with him."
Gibbs has experience playing receiver in the slot throughout his football career, but with LaPorta's absence, the Lions have made a concerted effort to make Gibbs a bigger part of the passing game.
"Well, he's an asset. He's a weapon for us," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of Gibbs in the pass game. "We've said that all along. I mean this guy serves many roles and he gives us a lot of flexibility with what we can do. The more that we ask him to do, the better he gets and the more he can do. But he allows us to do a lot, so he's a good player. He's a good player and he's only getting better."
Gibbs already has a career-high 58 receptions this season after catching 52 passes in each of his first two seasons in the league in 2023 and 2024. He's just 43 receiving yards shy of his career high from last season (517) with four games still to go in the regular season. He needs one more touchdown to match a career-high of four receiving touchdowns.
Gibbs has embraced the role and said he loves being more involved in the pass game and doing whatever he can to help the Lions score points and win games.
KAZEE FITTING IN; MILLS SIGNED
Detroit signed veteran safety Damontae Kazee to the practice squad this week to help bolster their numbers at the position after the loss of Pro Bowl safety Brian Branch to an achilles injury last week.
Kazee has 111 games and 63 starts to his credit, most recently playing four games with Cleveland this season. He led the NFL with seven interceptions in 2018 and has multiple interceptions over the course of five different seasons.
"Can't jump straight in until I learn everything and can give out the right calls and everything, so I've been on it," Kazee said this week of learning the playbook and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard's scheme. "I think coming from Cleveland, it was the same, just a lot of man. That's what I've been with all year – man coverage and get after it with big personnel."
The Lions also claimed safety Jalen Mills off waivers from the Texans this week. Mills is a 10-year veteran with 92 career starts under his belt for Philadelphia, New England, New York Jets and Houston.
"LSU guy. But ultimate competitor, seriously, ultimate competitor, and he's ready to roll," Sheppard said Thursday of Mills. "It's a guy that's been playing football; that's the thing that I like about it. It's just about terminology now and getting him up to speed with that terminology and then getting him out on the grass out here and seeing how he moves and kind of acclimates into what we do here. But I love the addition."
QB PLAY
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is one of the favorites to win league MVP and is currently leading the NFL in touchdown passes (35) and ranked second in lowest interception percentage (0.9) with only four on the year for the No. 1-seeded Los Angeles Rams (10-3).
"Playing really well, yeah he is," Goff said of Stafford. "He's doing a good job. And we do get some crossover tape here and there, and he's one of those guys you like to watch on tape. It's good."
Sunday's contest at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles will feature two quarterbacks playing really good football right now. Goff currently ranks first in 25-plus-yard completions (33), second in touchdown passes (26), second in completion percentage (70.1), third in passer rating (110.2) and fifth in passing yards (3,334).
"They've had a tone of success since he's been there and he's been a great part of that," Stafford said this week of Goff. "I think he does as good a job as anybody getting the ball to his playmakers and letting those guys work. They are a special group, and I feel like he's a great distributor of the ball. Our postgame interactions have always been a ton of mutual respect."
