David Montgomery is grateful for his time in Chicago, "the first place that took a shot on me," he said Wednesday. He's got lifelong friends from his time with the Bears, like quarterback Justin Fields, receiver Darnell Mooney and safety Eddie Jackson.
“But I'm sure they understand that once the whistle is blown, it will be us vs. them," Montgomery said.
The Lions running back is hungry to face his former team Sunday when the Bears visit Detroit. He used to lick his chops on the other side of this clash. The Lions were easy prey Montgomery's first three seasons in the NFL, over which time Detroit went 1-5 against Chicago. How times have changed. The Lions are 15-4 since last November and 6-0 in the NFC North; the Bears, over the same stretch, are 3-16.
And this year, Montgomery leads the NFL in rushing yards per game behind an elite offensive line.
"My first two years in the league, it was like stat games for me when I'd see Detroit," Montgomery said. "Just being honest. Me just circling the calendar of when I would play Detroit. My first, second and third year. But last year, it was just a whole different story. I’m like, ‘Maybe it was a fluke.’ And then they did it to us again the second time. I’m like, ‘Alright, maybe they’re the real deal.’ Then I got over here and I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, this is the real deal.’"
The Lions landed Montgomery on a three-year, $18 million deal this spring after negotiations broke down with Jamaal Williams, who broke the single-season franchise record for rushing touchdowns last year. Montgomery has learned quickly why Williams, who wound up settling for less from the Saints, was so prolific in Detroit: the Lions have road-graders up front.
On his first run in last week's win over the Chargers, Montgomery was barely grazed behind right tackle Penei Sewell. He later ripped through the middle of the Chargers' defense for a 75-yard touchdown in his third 100-yard game of the season; he had one 100-yard game all of last season and three over his final two seasons with the Bears. Montgomery called it a blessing "to have such a profound group in front of me."
“You saw the first run that I had, the surge, I didn’t get touched for six yards. Even when I was in high school and sometimes in college, I never knew what that really felt like. But to have it here and feel it? Super, super dope. I think it also gives me an opportunity to showcase what I can actually do, because I hadn’t got granted that for a while in my career. But now I feel like it’s coming," Montgomery said. "I’m apparent what I can do with those guys."
Montgomery has helped power a rushing attack that ranks fourth in the NFL, which has helped fueled an offense that ranks second in the NFL, which has propelled a team that ranks first in the NFC North. He runs with purpose between the tackles, and with pizazz in space. With a stutter-step cut-back on last week's touchdown, Montgomery made two defenders run into each other and left both on the turf.
He's pacing the league with 83.3 yards per game, a career high. He also has a career-high 4.7 yards per carry. And he's been the bellcow the Lions knew he could be, averaging the fourth most carries in the NFL. (Only Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Travis Etienne have more.) Montgomery has missed three games with thigh and rib injuries, but he didn't miss a beat in his return last week. The 26-year-old says he's "playing the best I've played in my career."
There were two upsides to Montgomery's absence. For one, he got some rest, in a season the Lions plan to play deep into January. He can't remember his body ever feeling better at this point in the year. (Montgomery would say February, for the record: "I’m ready to finish strong and bring back that thing we need to bring back into this building.”) For another, Jahmyr Gibbs had two breakout games in Montgomery's stead. Now the Lions have the two-headed monster they envisioned.
"Him being as special as he is and me being who I am, how I play the game, I feel like we complement, we work very well together," said Montgomery, adding, "You need two good backs to go the full distance and we have that."
Sunday won't be a walk in the park for Detroit's run game. Despite their 3-7 record, the Bears have the second best rushing defense in the NFL. They've allowed just 3.2 yards per carry. Nor will it be a so-called revenge game for Montgomery, who still has love for the team that drafted him. He plans to treat it like every game, starting with his Saturday night routine of falling asleep to a movie a little after 10. By morning, he'll be ready for a "dogfight."
“I’m just going to be me, man," said Montgomery. "I’m not going to try to play outside the lines of myself. I think me being who I am is enough."
He arrived in Detroit at the right time, where the Lions have had enough of who they were.