It was Jahmyr GIbbs' world, and the Detroit Lions were simply thriving in it.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were downed by the Lions in Week 7, lifting Detroit to 5-2 in the NFC North and allowing them some room to breathe ahead of a much-needed bye week in Week 8.
Despite numerous injuries - and one key suspension - to their secondary, the defensive line, backup defensive backs, and Gibbs all combined to lead the team to a victory over a Tampa Bay team seeing great success in 2025. While Detroit has to be happy they're escaping this home game with a win, there were also quite a few low points for the team and their fairly healthy offense.
Lots of opportunities to put the foot on the gas, and Detroit finding their tank was empty. Still, a win's a win. And there were quite a few of those in this contest.
4 winners and 2 losers from Lions' win vs. Buccaneers
Winner: Nick Whiteside
Whiteside is the first of three defenders we're going to give flowers to for this game. In his first career NFL start, he locked up multiple Buccaneers receivers, picked up three deflected passes, and that includes a key end zone stop against Baker Mayfield that basically sealed the contest. He had a very solid preseason, but you would've never guessed he'd immediately step up like this.
He, along with essentially the rest of the Lions' secondary in this game, was electric.
Winner: Rock Ya-Sin
Another defensive back deserving of love from this game is Ya-Sin. He was a preseason standout, with a legitimate argument to have made the 53-man roster. Instead, he landed on the practice squad and awaited his next opportunity to step up for the Lions' defense.
He did in this contest, picking up two defended passes and four tackles. He was wrapping up Mike Evans before he went down with a concussion, and then Ya-Sin dealt with some cramping late in the game that sidelined him a bit in place of Whiteside. We see how that worked out well, though.
Winner: Alim McNeill
McNeill came back to the Lions' defensive line after a year of recovery from a torn ACL, and with a bang. He had a big tipped pass against Mayfield early in the game, and he was essentially an unblocked wrecking ball against a completely mismatched Tampa Bay offensive line in this one. Mayfield never got a chance to be comfortable in the pocket, which was a huge key headed into this contest.
McNeill needed no time to warm up again to NFL speed and physicality. In fact, you could argue he set the pace and tone for this defensive line. That's a scary prospect for opposing O-lines in coming weeks.
Winner: Jahmyr Gibbs
Gibbs had 136 rushing yards, 82 receiving yards, and two touchdowns on the night, and that was barely the biggest storyline coming out of this win. But, he absolutely deserves recognition for the show he put on at Ford Field and in front of Lions legend Barry Sanders. This was certainly his most explosive game of the season so far, with his longest run standing at 78 yards.
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Gibbs has been a bit restricted in recent weeks, with some fans feeling as though Detroit should be erring on the side of David Montgomery, their bowling ball of a running back next to the speediness of Gibbs. But, he showed exactly why he needs these touches in this contest, and against a pretty solid Buccaneers defensive line.
Loser: Jared Goff
Listen, I know it may feel like looking for something to complain about for even including a loser after that win. But, we have to be honest. The offense, outside of Gibbs, was stagnant. Goff looked shaky, delivering a bad interception that killed the Lions momentum headed into the half and could've been disastrous had the defense not been so on point.
The offense has at too many times this year looked like they were in the driver's seat, just to shrink. Goff has been a big part of that. That could be because of what John Morton is drawing up for him - tons of checkdowns - or because the offensive line still has its warts, at times. But, Detroit hasn't looked as dominant as they could on offense this season. It's a problem that can be fixed, but one that almost reared its ugly head in this one.