The Detroit Lions are known for their elite running back duo, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery — also referred to often as Sonic and Knuckles. Over the past few weeks however, Detroit seems to be seeing less of Montgomery’s powerhouse wrecking ball technique and more of Gibbs’ speed and agility. This change in the running game has led Sonic to climb significantly higher in the NFL ranks than Knuckles.
According to Inside Edge NFL, Gibbs is one of the highest running backs in terms of yards from scrimmage per touch since Week 7 (8.4 yards). Among the ranked are Colts’ Jonathan Taylor (7.7 yards), Patriots’ TreVeyon Henderson (7.0 yards), Bengals’ Chase Brown (6.7 yards), and Bills’ James Cook (6.4 yards). That’s a pretty great class to be compared to, but how does Jahmyr Gibbs actually compare?
As of his record-breaking performance this past weekend against the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin, Jonathan Taylor has found himself in talks of being dubbed the next MVP. Though Taylor has always been known as one of the great running backs of this era, breaking the franchise record in Week 10 for most career rushing touchdowns with an 83-yard run has sealed his fate. With Gibbs already seeing 32 rushing touchdowns since getting drafted in 2023, he’s well on his way to catching up.
TreVeyon Henderson wasn’t seeing much playing time until Rhamondre Stevenson was sidelined with a toe injury in week 8. Now that he’s seeing more playing time for New England, Henderson is making waves. He even gave a breakout performance in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, assisting the Patriots to their surprising victory. Much like Henderson, Gibbs is playing a larger role in Detroit’s run game, and his impact isn’t going unnoticed.
Chase Brown brings a lot of forceful movement to a Cincinnati playstyle that is known for its run game. After losing Joe Mixon to the Houston Texans in 2024, Brown stepped in and is seeing an average of 565 rushing yards since taking on his new role. Though Detroit is slightly bigger on the passing game, Gibbs isn’t afraid to break out his footwork and push through the defenders in a similar fashion when needed.
Buffalo’s James Cook brings a versatility to the field that we are seeing in Gibbs. Cook has a mean running game, hitting over 1,000 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons; however, he’s also able to play receiver. Cook has yet to see a receiving touchdown this season, whereas Gibbs has found the endzone twice in addition to his 8 rushing touchdowns.
With Gibbs seeing far more of the field than Montgomery lately, it’ll be interesting to see if he continues to surpass these guys in their rushing games and potentially finds himself in the MVP conversation like Jonathan Taylor.
Yards From Scrimmage Per Touch (RB) | Since Week 7
Jahmyr Gibbs – 8.4
Jonathan Taylor – 7.7
TreVeyon Henderson – 7.0
Chase Brown – 6.7
James Cook – 6.4#OnePridepic.twitter.com/ePybAq0rKu— Inside Edge NFL (@IE_NFL) November 12, 2025
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs surging into NFL’s elite with ‘Sonic’ speed
