Sonic and Knuckles are not only two of the most well-known video game characters, they are now how we refr to the dynamic duo of Lions running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. That pairing helped the Lions leap to the top of the list among running back rooms in the eyes of Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller of SiriusXM’s Movin’ the Chains.
Kirwan noted the strong pairing of Gibbs and Montgomery and the incredible stat that Gibbs only played 55 percent of the offensive snaps last season — Gibbs started just four games — while Montgomery only played 34 percent of the snaps. Kirwan also gave some love to Craig Reynolds and his contributions on special teams — only Sione Vaki and Ben Niemann played more special teams snaps than Reynolds — as this discussion was about full running back rooms.
Even with Saquon Barkley, the Eagles were ranked below the Lions at No. 2, followed by the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Gibbs and Montgomery combined for 2,187 rushing yards and 28 rushing touchdowns in 2024. Gibbs had 1,412 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on just 250 carries, already solidifying himself as one of the top, if not elite, running backs in the NFL. That duo will be needed again if the Lions are going to make a run to the Super Bowl this season. That gauntlet includes the other teams in this top five except the Bills.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions’ two-headed monster ranked best running back room by SiriusXM NFL Radio
Reporting by Billy Riccette, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
