Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery have been tearing up the NFL this season, spawning a new nickname for the dynamic duo.

Gibbs is Sonic, Montgomery is Knuckles. The pair make real life seem like a video game. Whether it be Montgomery taking multiple defenders with him, or Gibbs dusting defenders on his way to a 70-yard touchdown.

The Detroit Lions backfield tandem has been a blessing to watch. They both live up to their nicknames respectively.

Sonic, AKA Jahmyr Gibbs, currently ranks 4th in rushing yards (886), 18th in carries (154), 4th in yards per carry (5.8), 7th in rushing touchdowns (10), 7th in rush yards over expected, (+145), 7th in rush yards over expected per attempt, (+1.0), 3rd in rush expected points added (+26.7), and 5th in runs of 10+ yards (25). All while contributing 265 yards through the air, ranking 12th among running backs. Gibbs has also committed 0 fumbles on the season. He is putting up these gaudy numbers while Montgomery has 169 total touches to his 180. But, that’s not all. He also has 38 runs where he hit at least 15 miles per hour, tied for 8th in the NFL. He hit at least 20 MPH twice, once for a blistering 22.03 MPH, 3rd fastest in the NFL. The other wasn’t much slower, with a speed of 21.8 MPH, good enough for 7th overall. Gibbs got the nickname ‘Sonic’ due to his insane speed, acceleration, and his ability to make defenders miss. Plus, it’s a pretty damn good nickname.

Knuckles, AKA David Montgomery, currently ranks 18th in rushing yards (632), 18th in yards per carry (4.4), and 2nd in rushing touchdowns (11). He surprisingly only ranks 25th in yards after contact (448) but that likely has something to do with the fact that Monty sees stacked boxes 25.5% of the time, ranking 8th overall. His rush success rate of 50.3% ranks 3rd in the NFL. David also gets the 3rd most hand-offs from under center. Plus, he has 241 receiving yards to boot. Unsurprisingly, Montgomery ranks 3rd in broken tackles with 18. Montgomery got the nickname for his bruising style, his never-quit attitude, and his inability to be tackled by one defender. He gets the early downs when the defense knows a run is coming, yet he produces.

At the end of the day, both backs are doing their job at a very high level. To think Brad Holmes was once mocked for selecting Gibbs as high as he was, especially after he signed Montgomery to a solid deal the off-season prior. Holmes knew what he was doing, and all Lions fans are grateful for it. Fun fact; Gibbs and Montgomery just became the first running back duo in NFL history to each rush for 10 touchdowns in back-to-back seasons, it is currently only week 12. Montgomery currently has 873 total yards and 11TDs. Gibbs already has 1,151 total yards and 10TDs, not too shabby for a running back duo. It is highly likely the Lions will have 2 backs with over one-thousand total yards this season. Detroit once went four straight seasons without a 100 yard rusher in a game. That’s over sixty games without a back having 100 yards. That’s insane. The Lions have only had FIVE one-thousand yard rushing seasons since Barry Sanders retired in 1998, and two were in the last 2 years. The Lions just might have TWO this season alone. We are seeing them essentially split carries, and both of them are making the best out of it. These backs are something Detroit hasn’t seen in a long time.

#OnePride.