Lions running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs together form one of the best one-two backfield punches in the NFL. The two both rank inside the top 20 in rushing yards and are the only pair of running backs in that group — Baltimore (Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson) and Washington (Brian Robinson, Jayden Daniels) also have two players in the top 20 thanks to their quarterback.
Gibbs (285) and Montgomery (271) have combined for 556 rushing yards. That would put them third in the NFL, behind only the 49ers’ Jordan Mason (609) and Henry (572).
The two make a strong pair and now, thanks to Montgomery, we have a nickname for the pair, and it’s a pretty clever one. Montgomery dove into the world of video games to come up with his nickname for himself and Gibbs. Fans can now refer to them as Sonic and Knuckles.
“We got a new name going around, Sonic and Knuckles, and I happen to be Knuckles,” Montgomery recently told CBS Sports HQ. “I like that one.” The comparison makes plenty of sense. Gibbs is the speedster of the two, just like Sonic the Hedgehog. Montgomery is the bigger, stronger one, similar to that of Knuckles the Echidna.
If Gibbs and Montgomery are Sonic and Knuckles, then perhaps each week, their opponent can be thought of as Dr. Eggman. This week, that happens to be the Dallas Cowboys. Similarly, yards can be considered the rings Sonic likes to collect.
It’s going to be chaos (like the emeralds) for Lions’ opponents going forward if Gibbs and Montgomery keep playing as well as they have.