Locker room buzz: St. Brown calls Gibbs' shot, views of Bates' kick, two DBs find redemption, Rodriguez's return and rookie's new look
Detroit — Here’s what I learned bouncing around the Detroit Lions’ locker room following the team’s 34-27 overtime win over the New York Giants.
St. Brown calls the shot
Are there enough superlatives to describe running back Jahmyr Gibbs? There’s no reason to sugarcoat it; without the dynamic dual threat, there’s no way the Lions win this game.
Whenever the Lions needed a play against the Giants, Gibbs was the answer. He had three runs of 40 or more yards, two resulting in touchdowns and another setting up one, which was scored by, well, would you look at that, Gibbs.
“Dude’s as good as they come in this league,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “…You can tell the fear in the defense when the ball gets in his hands, the way they rally to him. And certainly, when he gets to the second level on some of those longer runs, you can feel the safety, the angle they start taking, and it’s a good feeling for us.”
Gibbs’ 49-yard touchdown run in the third quarter quickly offset Detroit’s frustrations of falling behind 10 points minutes earlier. And after the Lions sent the game into overtime, Gibbs put the finishing touches on his masterpiece with a 69-yard touchdown romp.
Amusingly, All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was telling anyone who would listen that the team needed to go to Gibbs to open overtime. And the cherry on top, St. Brown told Gibbs in the huddle he was going to score.
“Overtime is starting, I tell (receivers coach) Scottie (Montgomery), ‘Scottie, let’s run the ball. Trust me, we just got to run it,” St. Brown explained. “He’s like, ‘Yeah, I agree, let’s do it!’ I told (running backs coach Tashard) Choice, ‘Just run it.’
Then we’re jogging out, I tell (offensive tackle) Penei (Sewell), ‘Penei, we’re coming to the right side,’” St. Brown said. “I don’t even know the play at this point. ‘Penei, we’re going right, Jahmyr is about to score. We’re going to win.’
On the play, Gibbs went untouched. Sewell, who threw his arms up in celebration almost immediately, said he knew the result as soon as he saw where the safety was on the field as Gibbs hit the hole.
St. Brown, who was blocking downfield, had his back to Gibbs but could tell what was happening by the crowd’s reaction.
“I’m like, ‘No way he’s about to break,’” St. Brown said, doubting his own prognostication. “Sure enough, he scores.”