Antonio Gibson is now the NFC’s leading rusher

Antonio Gibson has been outstanding over the last month and he’s now the NFC’s leading rusher.

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Washington running back Antonio Gibson was expected to be one of the NFL’s breakout stars in 2021. A third-round pick in 2020, Gibson rushed for 795 yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie, despite being hampered with a toe injury down the stretch.

What made Gibson’s rookie season even more impressive was the 2020 season was his first playing full-time at running back. Gibson was a wide receiver in college at Memphis.

Gibson began the 2021 season strong, rushing for 90 yards on 20 carries in a season-opening loss to the Chargers. A costly fumble overshadowed his performance.

Over the next several weeks, Gibson battled a shin injury that has seen him show up on the injury report every week. Yet, Gibson hasn’t missed a game. However, he had some games where he struggled to get going on the ground. He often appeared tentative at times and looked like a player battling an injury.

Things changed for Gibson in Week 10. After a bye week, offensive coordinator Scott Turner made a more concerted effort to feature Gibson and have the offense run through him. Now, Washington has won four consecutive games, as Gibson has rushed for 358 yards and scored three total touchdowns.

Gibson has taken over late in games, and his performance in the win over Tampa Bay was a primary reason why Washington upset the Bucs.

With his recent run of success, Gibson now has 800 yards rushing on the season, which is No. 1 in the NFC. He ranks No. 5 in the NFL and is poised to easily eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his young career.

It’s no coincidence Washington’s recent run of success has come as Gibson’s workload — and production — have increased. The WFT hopes to get behind Gibson for another late-season march to the playoffs.

Washington plays division-leading Dallas in Week 14.

Does anyone remember Gibson’s performance the last time these two teams met?