Lions RBs Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery on the verge of history as 1,000-yard teammates

Jahmyr Gibbs had four goals in mind when his rookie season started: Rush for 1,000 yards, make the Pro Bowl, win the Super Bowl and earn Offensive Rookie of the Year.

A few weeks ago, he added a fifth goal to his list.

Gibbs and David Montgomery are on the verge of becoming the eighth set of teammates and sixth pair of running backs in NFL history to top 1,000 yards rushing in the same season.

Gibbs needs 85 yards in Sunday’s Detroit Lions season finale against the Minnesota Vikings to reach 1,000 yards for the season, while Montgomery is 15 yards from the mark.

STRAIGHT FROM THE SKIPPER: Dan Skipper contradicts NFL video: I was signaling in personnel, not reporting as eligible

“First (thing) obviously, we want to win,” Gibbs said Wednesday. “So by any means, if we don’t get it, we win, we’ll live with it. But if we get it and win, it’ll be a bonus. But it would mean a lot to us.”

Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram of the Baltimore Ravens were the last pair of teammates to top 1,000 yards rushing in the same season in 2019, but no set of running backs has accomplished the feat since Jonathan Williams and DeAngelo Stewart did so with the Carolina Panthers in 2009.

The New York Giants in 2008 (Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward), Atlanta Falcons in 2006 (Michael Vick, Warrick Dunn), Cleveland Browns in 1985 (Earnest Byner, Kevin Mack), Pittsburgh Steelers in 1976 (Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier) and Miami Dolphins in 1972 (Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris) also reached the milestone.

The Lions went nine years between 1,000-yard rushers from Reggie Bush’s 1,006-yard season in 2013 until Jamaal Williams 1,066-yard season last year, but have fielded one of the league’s best, most diverse rushing attacks this fall.

[ MUST LISTEN: Make "Carlos and Shawn" your go-to Detroit sports podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] 

Montgomery has been the backfield’s battering ram, carrying 209 times in 13 games and scoring 12 touchdowns, tied for fourth among NFL running backs, while Gibbs has electrified in 40 fewer attempts as one of the NFL’s leaders in yards per carry. Jackson leads all players with a 5.5-yard average, while Gibbs is tied for tops among running backs with Christian McCaffrey and Jaylen Warren.

“It’s just dynamic, man,” Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow said. “They can just make so much happen on any run, and that’s what’s so cool. It doesn’t have to be blocked perfectly and you can still end up with 13, 14 yards, and even with those ones that should be 13, 14 yards, they’re turning them into 20-, 30-yard home runs.”

IT'S OFFICIAL: Lions hang banner at practice facility to commemorate NFC North division title

Gibbs leads the NFL with 10 carries of 20-plus yards despite missing two games with a strained hamstring.

He was the first alternate for the NFC Pro Bowl at running back, while Montgomery was third.

“The easiest thing to judge is physical talent,” Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery said. “Probably the hardest thing to judge is mental capacity and level of professionalism. Those two things, (Gibbs) knocks it out of the park on.

“But am I surprised after being around him? Through the process, there were very few surprises through the process with him. His interviews, everything that he did kind of had a level of excellence to it. We still have a long, long way to go. His ceiling is really, really high. The development of him, not only physically but academically in the game’s still happening, so not really surprised but we’re also looking forward to see where he can continue to grow.”

That’s the approach Gibbs has taken to his rookie season as well. He said he's pleased with what he's accomplished so far, but "obviously not satisfied."

He had 80 yards rushing on 15 carries in the Lions’ division-clinching win over the Vikings two weeks ago and can check off the first goal on his sheet with a similar performance Sunday.

'DECKER REPORTED': Billboards appear around Detroit after Lions' controversial loss

He’s likely to end up either in the Super Bowl or Pro Bowl; the Lions will be the two or three seed when the NFC playoffs open next week, and McCaffrey will need an alternate if the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers reach the Super Bowl.

And while he’s not likely to win Rookie of the Year, he’s done enough to at least be in the conversation.

As for doubling up on 1,000-yard backs, Scottie Montgomery said the Lions will do their best to see to it Gibbs and David Montgomery achieve history Sunday “as long as it falls into the winning of the football game.”

“Everything is secondary to the team,” he said. “That’s just not just coaching talk. Everybody has a goal that we don’t even know about that could be happening inside of the game, and that just put a number on a certain goal. There may be some guy going through something, another guy had a personal goal that’s going on, so collectively I think what we’ll try to do is what we always do, is try to win the football game."

On the precipice of history, Gibbs wouldn't have it any other way.

“It would mean a lot for me and D-Mo and the rest of the offense, show dedication to the work we put in throughout this whole season,” he said. “Yeah, it would just be special for the program.”

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

Next up: Vikings

Matchup: Lions (11-5) vs. Minnesota (8-8), regular-season finale.

Kickoff: 1 p.m. Sunday; Ford Field, Detroit.

TV/radio: Fox; WXYT-FM (97.1).

Line: Lions by 3.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery can make RB history