Jahmyr Gibbs Touchdowns Lift Lions Past Jets and Into the Record Books

When a Hall of Famer sits in the stands, some players get nervous. Jahmyr Gibbs apparently gets hungry. With Barry Sanders watching from Ford Field, the Lions running back racked up three Jahmyr Gibbs touchdowns on Sunday, pulling Detroit to a 31-24 win over the Jets and pushing his name even higher up the franchise record books.

This wasn’t a comfortable win either. It took every bit of Gibbs’ three-phase impact, plus one huge defensive stop, to get it done.

A Bounce-Back Nobody Should Take for Granted

Detroit came into Week 3 with something to prove. The Lions dropped a 41-31 decision to Buffalo the week before, a game we broke down in our Josh Allen Highmark Stadium recap, and their defense took plenty of heat for it. Sunday started well enough, with Detroit building a 24-10 lead. Then Geno Smith and the Jets stormed back, throwing for 321 yards and three touchdowns to tie the game at 24.

That’s where Gibbs took over.

Three Scores, Three Different Ways

Gibbs finished with 99 rushing yards on 20 carries and two rushing touchdowns, including a 17-yard cutback score in the third quarter and a one-yard plunge to open the fourth. He also caught seven passes for 65 yards, and his third touchdown of the day was the biggest one. With 2:25 left and the game tied, Jared Goff found him for an 11-yard score that put Detroit back in front for good.

Head coach Dan Campbell summed up the afternoon simply, saying it took all three phases to win the game. He wasn’t wrong. Safety Chuck Clark sacked Geno Smith on a late safety blitz and forced a fumble that linebacker Jack Campbell recovered, ending the Jets’ comeback bid with under a minute to play.

The Record Book Keeps Getting Rewritten

Here’s where the Jahmyr Gibbs touchdowns story gets really interesting. His second score of the day was the 43rd rushing touchdown of his career, which moved him past Billy Sims (42) into second place on the Lions’ all-time list. Only Barry Sanders sits above him, with 99.

Then there’s the stat line that hasn’t existed until now. According to the Lions, Gibbs is the first player in NFL history to reach 300 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, 150 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns through a team’s first three games. On top of that, NFL Research notes it was his fifth career game with three or more touchdowns, tying Jim Brown and Todd Gurley for the most such games by a player before turning 25.

Even Gibbs seemed a little stunned by the company. “To be in the same conversation as him is humbling,” he said of Sanders after the game.

Goff Kept the Engine Running

Credit where it’s due, because Jared Goff was quietly excellent again. He finished 25 of 32 for 269 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, spreading the ball to eight different receivers. Amon-Ra St. Brown also found the end zone for the third straight game, and Goff extended his streak to 26 consecutive games with a touchdown pass. Even when the Jets blitzed him on 44.4 percent of his dropbacks, Goff completed all 14 of his throws against pressure for 148 yards and a score, per Next Gen Stats.

Key Takeaways

• Jahmyr Gibbs scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) in Detroit’s 31-24 win over the Jets
• He passed Billy Sims for second on the Lions’ all-time rushing touchdown list with 43, trailing only Barry Sanders
• Gibbs became the first player in NFL history to hit 300 rushing yards, 4 rushing TDs, 150 receiving yards and 2 receiving TDs through three games
• Jared Goff threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns, extending his streak to 26 straight games with a touchdown pass
• A late Chuck Clark sack and forced fumble sealed the win after the Jets rallied from 14 points down

Our Take

Gibbs is 24 years old, and he’s already sitting in conversations with names like Jim Brown, Sanders, and Walter Payton when NFL Research breaks down under-25 production. That’s not hype, that’s the record. What makes this Detroit offense so tough to defend is that Gibbs doesn’t need one specific game plan to beat you. Run him inside, he cuts back. Split him out, he catches seven passes. If he keeps producing at this level, the race to catch Sanders’ franchise mark is going to be one of the best long-term storylines of the entire decade. Detroit’s defense still has plenty to clean up, but with Gibbs and Goff clicking like this, the Lions are going to be a problem for anyone in January.

Do you think Gibbs can realistically chase down Barry Sanders’ franchise record? Drop your take below, we’re tracking his climb all season.