After four seasons with the Bears, David Montgomery signed with the Lions this offseason. In the 2023 NFL Draft, Detroit used the 12th pick to take RB Jahmyr Gibbs. Many media members and Lions fans wondered why they would do that after signing Montgomery to a three-year deal.
Head coach Dan Campbell said the Lions were going to use Jahmyr Gibbs in ways that teams have never seen before. That has not been the case at all and David Montgomery has clearly been their lead back. It goes to show that you cannot take what a coach says as 100 percent true until something happens. For now, Montgomery is clearly the RB1 for Detroit.
Jahmyr Gibbs is playing a much smaller role than expected through four games this season
The #Lions haven’t moved the ball in the 2nd half and are insisting on running the ball with David Montgomery for 3.6 yards per carry (on 19 carries)
Meanwhile, rookie Jahmyr Gibbs has 6.5 yards per carry, on only 4 carries.
The Lions need to give the rookie more touches. https://t.co/2KPAeBcYJ5 pic.twitter.com/rDKrVgKcf5
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 29, 2023
When David Montgomery missed Detroit’s Week 3 game vs. the Falcons, David Montgomery took a majority of the carries at RB. He had 17 for 80 yards. The rookie RB has yet to find the end zone in four games. Meanwhile, Montgomery had three touchdowns on TNF in Week 4 vs. the Packers. He now had five touchdowns in the 2023 season, the same amount he had in 16 games played with the Bears in 2022.
David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have played in three games together in the 2023 season. In Week 4 vs. the Packers, the disparity in touches between the two RBs was the largest of the season. Montgomery carried the ball 32 times last night compared to Gibbs’ 8 carries. The former Chicago RB finished with 121 rushing yards and three touchdowns. No matter what Dan Campbell says, Montgomery is the undisputable RB1.
David Montgomery fantasy managers in their Week 4 matchup pic.twitter.com/7h6tUNV21U
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 29, 2023
With their win vs. Green Bay in Week 4, the Lions are 3-1 on the season and have a secure lead of first place in the NFC North. The Packers are 2-2 after last night and the Vikings and Bears are both 0-3. If Detroit can keep this kind of momentum throughout the season, they will be heading back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
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