By Moses Joshua 
After a record-shattering performance, Detroit’s dynamic running back finally takes a breather—while the rest of the NFL regroups and strategizes on how to stop him.
A Historic Night for a Rising Star
For the first time all season, NFL defenses can breathe a little easier — Jahmyr Gibbs is taking the week off.
The Detroit Lions’ electric running back has emerged as one of the league’s most unstoppable forces, fresh off the best game of his young career. In Detroit’s 24-9 win over the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gibbs erupted for 218 total yards and two touchdowns, etching his name in franchise history.
With 135 rushing yards, 80 receiving yards, and a pair of rushing scores, Gibbs became the first player in Lions history — and just the 10th in NFL history — to hit those marks in a single game.
“If you give him a crease, he’s going to make you pay — and he made us pay,” admitted Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles after watching Gibbs explode through his defense.
Speed That Breaks Games — and Defenses
Few players can change the trajectory of a game the way Gibbs can. His jaw-dropping 78-yard touchdown run against Tampa Bay clocked in at 22.23 mph, the second-fastest sprint recorded in the NFL this season — trailing only another Gibbs run earlier this year.
“Those really long ones are fun to watch,” said quarterback Jared Goff. “I feel like I got the best seat in the house, just to see him hit the hole and then take off. I don’t know how many safeties in the league could catch him. As soon as he gets there, it’s over.”
Behind an offensive line featuring two first-year starters and a recent position change, Gibbs found a lane so wide that even he could tell how the play would end.
“In the first 12 yards, I knew it was a touchdown,” Gibbs laughed. “All I saw was black jerseys and I just ran straight.”
But Gibbs isn’t just a burner — he’s a technician. On one highlight-reel play, he caught a short pass in the flat and stopped on a dime, leaving two Buccaneers grasping at air.
“That’s just me watching YouTube,” he joked, referencing his knack for studying other great runners.
The Break Before the Push
At 5-2, Detroit heads into its bye week with momentum and swagger. The Lions will return November 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, ready for what head coach Dan Campbell calls “the big push.”
“You know what’s on the horizon,” Campbell said. “It’s a little clear the mind and let the body heal a little bit and get right for the last push. The big push will be here. We get the divisional opponents, 10 [games] until the playoffs and then it’s on.”
Campbell praised not only Gibbs’ dominance but also his defense’s resilience against Tampa Bay. Despite missing multiple starters — and with four defensive backs still on injured reserve — the Lions’ defense held the Bucs to a season-low nine points, broke up 12 passes, and generated multiple takeaways.
“You are going to see players start to come back over the next month,” Campbell said. “While we are only getting better and better, we are going to start getting some of our players back, too.”
Defenses Beware: Gibbs Is Just Getting Started
While opponents get a brief reprieve this week, the rest of the league knows the break won’t last long. Gibbs ranks fifth in total yards from scrimmage (720), second in rushing (526), and third in rushing touchdowns (6) — a remarkable start for a player just scratching the surface of his potential.
“There will be no looking back,” Campbell declared. “He’s going to just continue doing this.”
And for defenses across the NFL, that might be the scariest part.