Gibbs carries Lions past Vikes, to NFC's top seed

DETROIT — Before Jahmyr Gibbs ran onto the field for the biggest regular-season game of his young career, his idol, Lions great Barry Sanders, dropped a gem in his ear.

“Go get it,” Sanders told Gibbs while dapping him up.

By the end of regulation, the 22-year-old Gibbs had etched his name in the record books.

During Detroit’s 31-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, the second-year Lions running back exploded for a career-high four touchdowns to help Detroit clinch the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the first time while winning a second straight NFC North title and earn a first-round bye for the playoffs.

“We’re obviously having a better season this year and I think everybody is still counting us out a little bit so being able to shut them up a little bit feels good,” Gibbs told ESPN.

Gibbs became the first Lions player to lead the NFL in scrimmage touchdowns (20) since Sanders in 1991 (17) while setting a single-season franchise record for touchdowns.

No other Lions running back had produced a four-touchdown game since Sanders in 1991, also against the Vikings.

“Just being able to have a record close to his, or I broke it, but being in the same talk with him is just crazy,” Gibbs told ESPN.

Prior to entering the league, Gibbs studied Sanders’ highlights and called himself a “very big” fan. Throughout this season, in which he earned his second Pro Bowl nod in his second year out of Alabama, he has described a few of his spin-move plays as looking “kinda Barry-ish.”

“I didn’t watch a lot of NFL games, but I would watch a lot of highlights,” Gibbs said. “So, he was one of the main people. Him and LeSean McCoy.”

Lions coach Dan Campbell described Gibbs as Detroit’s “x-factor” versus the Vikings, as he finished with 23 carries for 139 rushing yards along with five catches for 31 receiving yards.

The marquee matchup marked the first regular-season game in NFL history between teams with 13 or more wins, as the Vikings came to Detroit with a 14-2 record.

“He was big, and I felt like he gained steam as the game went on,” Campbell said of Gibbs. “I thought he got better and better and better and you could really feel it.”

Although it was a slow start for Gibbs, who gained just 1 yard off his first six carries of the game, all he needed was one big play to turn things around. With 1:43 left in the in the first quarter, he exploded up the middle for a 25-yard rushing touchdown to give Detroit a 7-0 lead. He then caught a 10-yard receiving touchdown in the third quarter to give the Lions a 17-9 edge.

His two fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns ultimately helped seal the victory as he shined in front of Sanders, his favorite player of all time.

“He was special today, and we needed him to be,” said Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who went 27-of-33 with 231 passing yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

At 15-2, with a perfect 8-0 road record, the Lions concluded the regular season with the most victories in team history while becoming the sixth team in NFL history to score 70 touchdowns in a season, per ESPN Research.

Even after earning the No. 1 seed for first time since seeding began in 1975, Lions players weren’t satisfied as they sported their new NFC North championship gear.

Their goal is to bring a Super Bowl title to Detroit, and they made that clear as they prepare for the postseason.

“We happy about this, this is what we needed, but it’s that 24-hour rule. We know what our goal is, we’re gonna get rest,” said Lions cornerback Amik Robertson, who ended with five tackles. “We was able to come up short last year so we know what our goal is. Enjoy this victory and get back to the lab because we understand what we wanna do.”