Jahmyr Gibbs is doing something in Detroit not even Barry Sanders did

It didn't take long for former Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs to make his presence known in the NFL as a rookie with the Detroit Lions in 2023, quickly making pundits look foolish who laughed at the Lions for taking a RB 12th overall.

Gibbs netted 1261 yards from scrimmage in his rookie season, helping the Lions win the NFC North title and advance to the NFC Championship Game where they came up just short againt the San Francisco 49ers.

The Lions are legit Super Bowl contenders, a sentence that still feels weird to type. They have a lot of former Alabama players to thank for that. Along with Gibbs, Jameson Williams has made a huge impact at WR. Defensively, Brian Branch looks like one of the best safeties in the league as a second year player, and rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold will keep getting better much like he did in Tuscaloosa.

Gibbs is taking a bigger leap in year two, beginning to separate himself in the backfield from his running mate David Montgomery. On Sunday, in a huge game against the Minnesota Vikings with massive divisional implications, Gibbs brought his A-game.

The shifty, speedy Gibbs carried the ball 15 times and gained 116 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He added 44 receiving yards on four receptions, too.

After averaging just 3.6 yards-per-carry in the Lions' season opening win over the Rams, Gibbs has now gone five straight games with a yards-per-carry average exceeding 5.0. On the surface, maybe that doesn't sound like much. But legendary Lions running back Barry Sanders never accomplished that feat, and the NFL record is six consecutive games with such numbers, a record Gibbs could tie next week.

Gibbs won't be Barry Sanders, but it's impressive nonetheless when you can accomplish something as a running back that the player many, myself included, feel like is the greatest to ever do it.

Gibbs only has 81 carries on the season, good for 22nd most in the NFL. But he's gained the 17th most rushing yards at 464 on 5.7 yards-per-carry average. His current 17-game pace would put him 1315 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns.

If he keeps playing like he did on Sunday, it's going to be hard for Detroit to justify not giving him the lions share of the carries, no matter how committed Dan Campbell is to David Montgomery. Gibbs is too good not to get the heavier workload.

Thanks to Gibbs, Jamo, Branch, and Arnold, the Lions have quickly ascended up near the top of the teams I enjoy watching the most every Sunday. Wherever you turn, there's an Alabama player making plays, perhaps none more than Gibbs.