Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs entered this year’s Thanksgiving game at Ford Field with a notable streak: over 150 carries without fumbling, dating back to his last fumble in the Lions’ 34-31 NFC Championship loss to the San Francisco 49ers in January.
However, during the Lions’ 23-20 win over the Chicago Bears on Thursday, Gibbs recorded his fourth career fumble and his first of the season.
With Detroit leading 16-0 and 1:01 left in the second quarter, the Lions were in a strong position to extend their lead before halftime.
Instead, Gibbs fumbled a 13-yard reception from quarterback Jared Goff
, which ended the drive prematurely.
In the first half, Gibbs had an impressive performance, rushing for 83 yards on seven carries and adding 13 receiving yards on one catch. However, in the second half, his role in the offense diminished significantly.
Gibbs only had two rushing attempts for four yards and one reception for four yards, while the Lions focused more on running back David Montgomery to maintain their lead as the Bears tried to mount a comeback.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell explained why Gibbs saw limited action after halftime. “No, not really,” Campbell said.
“I think it was more of a rotation thing. David (Montgomery) was in the mix, and we didn’t run many plays.
We had a couple of stalled drives—a three-and-out and a four-and-out—and we just didn’t get into much of a rhythm.”
Montgomery, who had 13 carries for 58 yards and two receptions for 17 yards in the first half, added eight carries for 30 yards and one reception for 19 yards in the second half.
His key contributions helped sustain a crucial 11-play, 78-yard drive late in the third quarter, capped by a one-yard touchdown pass from Goff to rookie tight end Sam LaPorta.
Montgomery’s steady performance was crucial in securing the Lions’ narrow victory over the Bears.