Quarterbacks aside, the NFL's best offenses are propelled by playmakers. The most prolific trio resides in Detroit. Ten weeks into the season, the Lions are the only team in the league with three top-15 players in scrimmage yards per game. (Minimum five games played). No other team has more than two in the top 20.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for 393 yards -- and four touchdowns -- to propel the Lions to their latest win, a 41-38 heart-stopper over the Chargers.
"You guys see," said St. Brown, "we got some weapons when everyone’s healthy."
St. Brown is the most lethal among them. The former fourth-round pick is no longer a steal, or a star. He is a superstar. That label is reserved for the finest players on the planet; the Sun God is scorching the earth. Sunday was his fourth straight game with 100-plus yards, and sixth in his last seven. He piled up 165 yards total, and now ranks sixth in the league with 104.2 scrimmage yards per game -- smack-dab between A.J. Brown and Keenan Allen.
"He’s a stud," said Dan Campbell. "He just continues to make plays. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, he is the most steady, reliable guy that you can find in this league. I mean, I’d love to know somebody that is more reliable than him. He just does what he’s supposed to do, times 10. He’s productive, he’s tough, he’s physical. He’s a game-changing type player. And the bigger the moment, the bigger he shows up."
Gibbs is growing bigger by the week. After a slow start to his career while the Lions rode Montgomery out of the gate, the 12th overall pick has 100-plus yards in three straight games. He's up to 96.6 scrimmage yards per game, 11th in the NFL -- smack-dab between Austin Ekeler and Saquon Barkley. If you're keeping scoring at home (and who isn't?), eighth overall pick Bijan Robinson has 82.0 scrimmage yards per game for the Falcons.
As Gibbs has found his footing, Montgomery is getting back on his horse. He was noticeably absent for two games with a rib injury. He returned in style at SoFi Stadium, ripping off a 75-yard touchdown run that left a trail of defenders on the turf. He's now 13th in the NFL with 94.5 scrimmage yards per game. When the Lions supercharged their ground game this offseason by adding Montgomery and Gibbs, and drew sharp criticism for investing heavily at a non-premium position, "this is part of the vision coming to life, man," said Campbell.
"The two-headed monster. And they both deliver something different," he said. "They’re both unique and they’re both dangerous. So it’s good to see that. Gibbs continues to grow and it’s great to have David back. He played at a high level. And then the O-line, man, really showed up. It’s what we talked about: playing physical, finishing, playing violent. Those guys were outstanding, in protection and in the run game."
That offensive line is exactly why it made sense for Detroit to double down at running back. The beams of an elite offense were already in place. With the Lions entering their window of contention, they could maximize Montgomery and Gibbs to raise their own ceiling. The night Detroit drafted him, Gibbs said rather matter of factly, "They have great playmakers already. I just think I could bring another element to the team and we could be the best offense in the league." The Lions rank No. 2 in offense halfway through the season, and might be just hitting their stride.
The Dolphins rank No. 1. They boast the most explosive group of playmakers in the league in receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and running backs De'Vone Achane and Raheem Mostert. Hill leads the NFL in scrimmage yards per game (121.4); Achane has been even more prolific than Hill but has only played in four games. Waddle and Mostert are devilishly fast themselves.
The 49ers rank No. 3. Their offense is headlined by running back Christian McCaffrey, receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle, plus receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The Eagles, who rank No. 5, boast Brown and DeVonta Smith at receiver and D'Andre Swift at running back. The Cowboys, who rank No. 4, see a drop-off in talent after receiver CeeDee Lamb and running back Tony Pollard, and have been aided by two games in the first half of the year against the remains of the New York Giants.
The Lions just gorged on a bad defense themselves. They've also overcome some of the stingier units in the league in the Chiefs, Panthers, Falcons and Packers. (It's true.) Beyond St. Brown, Gibbs and Montgomery, they have another difference-maker in Sam LaPorta. The rookie tight end was quiet by his own standards against the Chargers, but made two clutch catches on Detroit's final two drives. Guess where the ball wound up on Jared Goff's biggest throw of the game?
This is to say nothing of receivers Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond, two of the team's unsung heroes, and Jameson Williams, who's bound to break out at some point, right? Donovan Peoples-Jones, acquired via trade to offset the departure of receiver Marvin Jones Jr., should hit the field soon. The big boys up front are playing their best ball of the season. Goff is playing the best ball of his career. If coordinator Ben Johnson is nearing the end of his time in Detroit, he's poised to go out with a bang.
"It’s hard to guard everyone," said St. Brown. "You take me out the game, you take Josh out the game, Leaf might be wide open. You take Jamo off his deep route, I might be open underneath, Sam might be open underneath. You try to cloud everything out, just dump it down to Jahmyr and he can take it the distance.
"There’s so many different things we can do. Having so many weapons opens up everything and just takes the pressure off all of us."
And places it on the defense instead.