A running back as dangerous as they come, Jahmyr Gibbs could be even more of a game-breaker in year three with the Lions. Sounds like new offensive coordinator John Morton will further unleash him as a receiver.
Gibbs told reporters Thursday while hosting a youth football camp at Ford Field that Morton wants him "more involved" in the passing game: "That’s what he plans on doing." Specifically, "I have to learn the formations from being split out," he said. "I’m getting split out a lot more than I was the last two years."
Gibbs was already third on the Lions in targets and receptions over his first two seasons, during which time he piled up the fourth most scrimmage yards in the NFL -- trailing only Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Bijan Robinson. He caught 52 passes both years, actually seeing fewer targets (63) last year than he did as a rookie (71). But he was much more productive as a receiver last season, tallying 517 yards and four touchdowns compared to 316 and one touchdown the year prior.
The wrinkle here is how Morton plans to deploy him. While Gibbs ran routes on about half of his snaps under former Lions OC Ben Johnson, a very small portion of those routes came out wide. Last year, Gibbs lined up out wide just 38 times out of his 310 snaps as a receiver. Dolphins running back De'Von Achane, who paced the position in receiving yards, ran 58 routes out wide. (Gibbs ran 67 routes combined in the slot and out wide. 157 for Achane.)
Gibbs is a threat to break a big play whenever the ball's in his hands. He was fourth in the NFL last season in yards after catch, and second among running backs in yards per touch. The Lions, meanwhile, were second in the NFL in yards per play. The logic in letting Gibbs loose on the outside is that he'll have more opportunities to receive the ball in space, and that he'll bend defenses to create more space for the other playmakers around him.
Few players in the NFL can match Gibbs' speed. Jameson Williams is one of them. Asked about Williams during OTA's, Morton said, "I haven’t been around a guy like him. I mean, there’s two players — Gibbs, too. The explosion. I was around Reggie Bush. That explosion, it’s impressive, those two guys."
And for Morton, explosiveness is the aim of the game: "You gotta have explosive plays. You gotta be able to do that. I think there's a certain amount of explosive plays that you need in a game, because that's what the defense (wants to stop).”
Good luck stopping Gibbs.