We’re officially just a week away from the Detroit Lions’ season opener against the New Orleans Saints. Our long wait is almost over, and it will be a joy just to have the NFL back in our lives.
But now that we’re within striking distance of Week 1, it’s time to actually start thinking about the game. The Lions may be considered relatively big favorites—6.5 points according to FanDuel—but the first week of the season can be goofy. Teams tend to both be unpredictable and sloppy to kick off the season,
and the Saints may not be too bad this year. It’s easy to forget that they finished the season winning four of their last five games.
And we have no idea what the Lions are going to look like either? What will the reformed offensvie line look like? What will offensvie coordinator Drew Petzing have up his sleeve? Will Detroit’s front seven be as good as they looked in training camp? So today’s Question of the Day is:
What are you looking forward to seeing the most in Lions vs. Saints?
My answer: Well, outside of EVERYTHING, I’m excited to watch Jahmyr Gibbs.
This offseason, Gibbs’ reputation seems to have launched into top-three running back conversation. What’s interesting about that rise in popularity is that it comes after a pretty mediocre season. By rushing success rate, Gibbs was just 25th out of 48 qualifying running backs. By EPA per rush, he was just 17th. But, of course, much of Gibbs’ struggles were caused by offensive line issues.
Now, if you look at rushing yards over expected, Gibbs finished seventh in the NFL, per NFL Pro, and that’s what makes him extremely exciting to watch every game. Even if the Lions’ offensive line struggles out of the gate again this year, Gibbs is a danger to make a big play anyways. The offensive line could struggle to create a hole on 20 out of 21 plays. But on that one play? Gibbs could make a house call from 80 yards away.
On top of that, I get the feeling we’ll finally start to see him expand his game a little as a true receiver—and more Gibbs with the ball in his hands is a good thing.
What’s something specific you’re looking forward to in next week’s Lions season opener? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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