Burning Question: How Should Lions Split Carries Between Gibbs, Montgomery?

The Detroit Lions will have their tandem of "Sonic and Knuckles" back together for the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. David Montgomery is set to return to action after a three-week absence while dealing with a knee injury.

Jahmyr Gibbs, who is known as the "Sonic" of the pairing due to his elusiveness and speed, shared his excitement for his teammate to return to action this week.

“It’s gonna be great. I missed him a lot," Gibbs said. "Just being around him every day, not being around him every day was so much different. Just being on the sideline with him, just cracking jokes and stuff. And just watching him play, he’s a great player. I love watching what he does. It’s gonna be fun.”

In Montgomery's absence, Gibbs has been outstanding. He won NFC Offensive Player of the Month honors for his performance over the team's final five games, including a four-touchdown masterpiece against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18.

Handling the leading share of the carries is something Gibbs has done at times this year, as well as throughout his career in college. So, it was a role he was prepared for when Montgomery went down. He didn't feel any new sense of responsibility that he didn't already have regarding his role.

“I don’t think so, because I’ve done it before," Gibbs explained. "It’s really nothing new.”

With Montgomery returning to the field, the question becomes: How much work will each back get in Saturday's game?

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said Wednesday that he wasn't certain who would get the bigger workload. If the Lions stick to their typical style of riding the hot hand, it would translate to Gibbs getting the early touches.

Yet, Montgomery has traditionally started the game and gotten the first carries, while Gibbs enters later to provide the change of pace.

“It’s to be determined. Gibbs has certainly had a hot hand as of late, and I expect David to come in and pick up where he left off," Johnson said. "If the last two days are any indication, he’s of the right mindset right now. So, we’ll see what it looks like today on the field and tomorrow as well, and we’ll finalize our plan after that.”

Lions Zeitler to Miss Thursday, Could Turn to Rookie

Assistant head coach and running backs coach Scottie Montgomery suggested that Thursday's practice along with warm-ups could provide a steady indication of what the Lions can expect from Montgomery on Saturday.

“I think we’ll find it out as we go along. The one thing that you forget about, there is not just the physicality that comes with football games, but also the adrenaline that’s rolling, and the energy that goes into every play," Montgomery said. "You have to pour it out at that position, so I think we’ll figure it out. I think we’ve been very transparent with each other about how he feels, about what we expect from him. And, I think whatever we ask him to do, he’s gonna go out and do a great job. But, I’ve still got to get a good feel about what it’s gonna look like three plays in a row, four plays in a row. I’m not gonna get ahead of myself, because if I do, I’m gonna put him in harm’s way. And, I’m not gonna do that.”

Regardless of how the Lions ultimately decide to distribute the carries on Saturday, the pairing is the product of Campbell and Brad Holmes. They saw the duo working best as a one-two punch, and that idea has come to fruition in a big way.

"David, we were fortunate to be in the division with him. He was a pain in the rear. I hated playing against him, because I thought he was a hammer," Campbell said. "We got even better than that, and I thought he was a good player. Just a tone-setter. Heady, great feet, can cut, finishing power, can protect. Receiver out of the backfield, so can do it all. But, he's a hammer.

"And then when Brad and I saw Gibbs, we were blown away," Campbell continued. "We saw the fit immediately. For us, it was always about a one-two punch. My time as a player, when I was in New York, we had Ron Dayne and Tiki Barber. In New Orleans, we had Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara, Latavius Murray and Alvin Kamara. Just having that one-two punch, and they're a little bit different, but they're productive."