'Cardiac Cat' Lions Avoid Blowing Season

“Gibbs, he's electric," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of the star back after the game. "Man, when he finds a crease, he was going to the house. This was not about first downs and, you know, picking up a few yards. This was about going to the house, and he's got the juice to make it happen.

"He's got vision, he's a difference-maker.”

He proved that and more Sunday. With his dominant performance against the Giants, Gibbs moved into third place in the league in rushing yards (951), fourth in scrimmage yards (1,330) and second in total touchdowns (13). 

Plus, his efficiency remains staggering: 6.1 yards per carry and 7.9 per reception. Three of the five fastest runs recorded in the league this season also belong to him, including a 22.17 mph burst against New York. Every time Detroit needed a spark, Gibbs delivered.

His 49-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter was equally momentous. 

With the Lions’ offense sputtering and Ford Field collectively holding its breath, Gibbs gave Detroit a much-needed shot of energy. That long score cut the deficit to three, 27-24, ultimately giving Jake Bates the opportunity to drill a game-tying field goal to force overtime.

And without overtime, Gibbs doesn’t get his iconic moment, nor does Pro Bowl EDGE Aidan Hutchinson.

Because while Detroit’s defense struggled mightily, allowing a staggering 517 total yards to Jameis Winston and the Giants, Hutchinson delivered the Week 12 contest’s final exclamation point. 

After 60 minutes of frustration and zero sacks, the star pass-rusher finally got home, sealing Detroit’s victory with a game-ending takedown of Winston. It was the type of clutch play that big-time players like Hutchinson make, even after being held in check for most of the day.  

Detroit desperately needed it, too, given how lackluster the defense had performed throughout the afternoon.

Truthfully, the Lions didn’t play a winning brand of football for most of Sunday.

The tackling regressed. The pressure wasn’t consistently enough there. And the secondary struggled to stop big plays. 

Against a stronger opponent, like the NFC North division-leading Bears or the second-place Packers, the Lions would have likely been punished for those miscues on defense.

But, this wasn’t about style, nor was it about execution. And it surely wasn’t a statement win, either. Instead, Detroit’s triumph over New York Sunday was about survival.

It was a game the Lions couldn't afford to lose, with their NFC North rivals, the first-place Bears (8-3) and the second-place Packers (7-3-1), also winning their Week 12 contests. And Gibbs did everything in his power to make sure Detroit didn't lose to the hapless Giants, which had lost five straight prior to Sunday.

"I wasn’t really thinking about carrying the team," Gibbs told reporters after the game. "I just do whatever it takes to win. Whatever they call me for, I'm willing to do. That was really my mindset.”

It was the definition of a clutch performance from Detroit's best offensive weapon and its most explosive player on either side of the football.

"He bailed us out today in a big way," Campbell admitted.

The victory doesn’t eradicate Detroit’s deficiencies, nor does it guarantee a smoother December. However, it does provide Campbell’s squad with a lifeline – a chance to regroup, recalibrate and correct its flaws.  

The Lions escaped Ford Field with a win in a game they had no business winning, all thanks to Gibbs’ brilliance and Hutchinson’s game-sealing sack in overtime.

On Sunday, Detroit transformed into the “cardiac cats,” surviving and barely clinging on to their postseason hopes, largely thanks to the fastest, most dynamic player on the field.

The Lions didn’t just beat the Giants; they avoided a catastrophic outcome. And for now, that’s enough to keep their season alive.