4th quarter, down 4 points, we haven’t been able to move the ball on the ground. Vita and company have shut the ground game completely down.
We get the ball with 1:30 on the clock, who’s your choice for RB? Gibbs or Monty?
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Lol, I saw the thread title and thought “oh shit checkmate, don’t get yourself in trouble”
I think you go with the hot hand, if there is one.
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I still think if you want 3-4 yards you go Monte.
But you want both. They each put different pressures on the defense. For Monte he is going to bring a power run game at you. While Gibbs will bring that pressure of the homerun and maybe some pass game twists.
The Lions have proven if they one have 1 guy available they are fine. And they have shown the ability to use both at the same time effctively.
Having 2 fresh top 20 backs is crucial for this offense.
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Oooooooooh I see what you did mister. I go with Monte.
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Well played.
Gibbs offers a bit more versatility.
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you know, when they got monte I really thought he’d be the 3-5 yard smashmouth guy. He’s really quite elusive and has burst. I REALLY like gibbs but right now I’d almost put him at wr3 or 4 just to have both of them on the field.
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I would have Gibbs as 10/10 for slipperiness, and 8/10 for north-south hard running. I would have Montgomery as 8/10 for slipperiness, and 10/10 for north-south hard running. It’s a wash.
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It’s like choosing between a 2 inch thick ribeye, or prime rib.
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Make america run the ball again!
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The secret sauce is you need both and whichever one is fresh is who you go with to answer your question.
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To me it all depends on how the game had gone to that point. Basically, if I felt like Vita was crushing our middle and that Ragnow/Zeitler or Ragnow/Glasgow weren’t able to contain Vita, I would look at running Gibbs and letting him use his speed to continually get around the corner. If I felt like our line was strong and that Tampa’s defense, even if they played well to that point, if I thought the dam was about to burst, I run Montgomery and let him run right over the top of that defense.
The Lions have provided some awesome moments of football for the past few seasons. One of my top memories will be the Lions in overtime against the Rams. Seeing the team collectively take a stand, and literally run straight through the Rams defense was incredible. I know we have the Pure Michigan slogan, that was Pure Football. Seeing the Rams defense get the deer in headlights look and just knowing they couldn’t stop us. McVay had it when he called timeout, he did what he needed to but his eyes were big. He knew he was making the right call, but at the end of the day he also knew he was just delaying the inevitable, and his timeout was going to help us just as much as it would help the Rams defense.
I still tell this story to my son all the time and have told it here, but in the early 2000’s I was at a Chiefs Bears game. This was during the Priest Holmes days where he set the NFL TD record and they had their crazy HOF offensive line. Chiefs offense got to about the 5 yard line and the whole Arrowhead stadium is yelling PRIIIIEST. I thought it was crazy, why are you telling the road team what your team is about to run? My brother in law said, “because it doesn’t matter if they can’t stop it.” Sure enough, Priest Holmes runs it right between RG and RT for the TD.
Sunday night, I saw the Lions do the exact same thing. Everyone in that entire stadium knew after the timeout who was getting the ball, and where they were running. The Rams could’ve put 13 guys on defense and it wouldn’t have mattered. As soon as the ball was snapped, Zeitler and Penei blew the Rams 3 yards into the end zone, and the the Mack Truck Montgomery came right behind them. Ballgame. It was a complete thing of beauty.
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Footage of Nate when seeing the title
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I go with Montgomery.
If you have more than 1 timeout you go with Monty. A couple of 10 yard runs against a prevent defense will force them to bring those safeties back up instead of selling out for the deep ball. If you have 1 or 0 timeouts you go with Gibbs because he has the speed to get out of bounds quickly after a catch or run to the edge.
Really though Monty is a good enough receiver and Gibbs is good enough between the tackles that I think either of them can give the team what it needs in that situation. Hell of a luxury to have.
My head says Monty. Logically makes sense to me but ny heart days gibby bc they had no answer for him in the playoffs. But im going with monty.
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i did kind of want to see more of vaki, just because how incredible he looked preseason.
Any of the above.
If Vea is causing the issue I go with Gibbs on the side that Vea isn’t. But it isn’t like I think there is a bad choice here because I am good with either one of them. We are blessed and honestly if Vlaki is active, I think that would shock all of us and still work.
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To me this is a Gibbs game anyway because of Vea. He’s one of the league’s most impactful run defenders. A heavy dose of off-tackle and speed should be the plan. Their defensive ends aren’t shit.
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Put them both back there.
Run an old time “I” formation with Gibbs at Sprintback. Heavy front.
See what looks the D gives you. Pick who gets it at the line.
Or, Goff audibles, “bulldog! bulldog!” And hits LaPorta behind the defense that is still trying to decide if the “Bulldog”, or the “Bull Dawg” is getting it.