Jahmyr Gibbs was never big into weight-lifting, even in his first year with the Lions. He was fast enough and strong enough on his own. One day early this season, Gibbs was walking into the team facility with David Montgomery -- he of the 700-pound deadlift -- when Montgomery turned to him and said, "You trying to squat together?"
"And it just came to be," said Gibbs.
The result is the most dangerous running back duo in the NFL, which will be reunited for the Lions' divisional round clash with the Commanders Saturday night. Montgomery is back a month after suffering a knee injury that could have ended his season if not for the way he hardens his body for such blows. In his absence, Gibbs carried the Lions to the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
"I kind of slacked off a little bit lifting weights (as a rookie), just banking on playing," Gibbs said. "This year, I wanted to get a little bigger, a little stronger."
Gibbs had his first 100-yard game of the season in the Lions' Week 7 win over the Vikings. He punctuated his second touchdown of the day by barreling over cornerback Stephon Gilmore in the end zone and then flexing his arms for the camera. Asked the next week about running with more power, Gibbs shrugged and said, "Been taking creatine for a couple months." He added, "I lift with D-Mo. I didn’t lift with D-Mo last year." A couple days later, Gibbs put up another 100-yard game in a rout of the Titans.
When Montgomery hits the squat rack, said fellow running back Jermar Jefferson, "I see him in there, no shoes, no socks, crazy weight. Putting, like, 5 plates on there," or about 500 pounds. These days, Gibbs isn't far behind.
"He's almost putting up the same stuff that I’m putting up," said Montgomery.
On days they're feeling fresh, Gibbs and Montgomery like to have squatting competitions to see who can get the weight up more quickly. The machine in the Lions' weight room tracks it by the millisecond. The gap between them is narrow, said Montgomery.
"Jah wasn’t lifting a bunch (last year), he didn’t have to," said Montgomery. "But now he has to because his body has to be primed for taking those hits that he takes. He’s doing an incredible job. His jump from last year to this year, I’ve never seen it from a running back."
The Lions call Montgomery their tone-setter. This is just as true in the gym as on the field. Running backs coach Scottie Montgomery, a former NFL wide receiver, said last month, "I lift more weights now because of David. That's a true statement. I don't want to be the weakling in the room, so I'm in the weight room, too, because of it."
It's not as if Gibbs needed a physical makeover. He's quick to clarify, "I've always been strong," and his production as a rookie backed that up: 5.2 yards per carry, 3.1 yards after contact per carry, 40 missed tackles forced. But the strength he's added in his lower half has shown up this year: 5.6 yards per carry, 3.4 yards after contact per carry, 63 missed tackles forced.
"When I play, I just feel like I break more tackles and it’s harder to bring me down," he said.
Most importantly, Gibbs was ready to handle a heavier load when the Lions needed him most. He turned 77 touches in the final three games into 487 yards and six touchdowns from scrimmage.
Asked if he can think of a run, or a touchdown, that he couldn't have pulled off as a rookie, Gibbs said, "Maybe the last one versus Minnesota, on the goal line, that one." With the Lions putting the game -- and the division -- away in the fourth quarter, Gibbs was stacked up at about the three-yard line, before twisting and turning and churning his way into the end zone through several Vikings defenders.
Scottie Montgomery credits David Montgomery for instilling these tough runs into his fellow backs:
"There is a standard that's set in the weight room. That standard is a physical standard, period. He is preparing himself to go out and be the most physical back that he can possibly be. And if you notice, our guys in some of those one-on-one situations now, whether it's Craig (Reynolds), whether it's Jah, it's not always going to be a wiggle because they know when they get in the meeting room we're going to talk about, 'Was that a situation where you could be physical and finish the run at the line of scrimmage or at the goal line?'"
Gibbs is as explosive as they come at his position. He was tied with Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley for the NFL lead this season in designed runs of 15-plus yards, per Pro Football Focus, despite getting 75 fewer carries than Henry and 95 fewer than Barkley. He was also third among running backs in receiving yards. When Brad Holmes said the Lions drafted a "multiphase, elite, explosive, position-less weapon," this is what he was talking about.
"I always thought I could do it," Gibbs said. "I believe in my abilities and I’m confident in myself, so nothing’s really a surprise to me, because I feel like I’ve been doing that."
Now he gets to team up again with Montgomery. Gibbs smiles at the very thought. It remains to be seen how the Lions divvy up the touches Saturday night. Montgomery said this week that the show belongs to Gibbs. But then, Gibbs said that Montgomery "looks like he didn’t miss a beat. He’s looked great all practice. Looks like he didn’t get hurt."
"It’s just been fun having him back. I just like watching him play, because he’s a great back, too," Gibbs added. "Watching him play turns me up. We feed off each other."
Together, they plan to feast on the Commanders.