Studs and Duds: Gibbs Breaks Out on National Stage

Top performers from Detroit's win over Las Vegas.

The Detroit Lions' offense made multiple mistakes, but wound up dominating Monday night's matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. 

Though the majority of scoring was done by Riley Patterson's four made field goals, there were timely scores by rookies Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs in the team's 26-14 win. 

The rookie duo was a big reason for the team's success, as each had strong showcases. In the end, Detroit moves to 6-2 heading into its bye week. 

Here are the studs and duds from Monday's game. 

STUD: RB Jahmyr Gibbs

It was a career-best night for the rookie running back. With David Montgomery sidelined for the second consecutive game, Gibbs was given the ball early and often. 

He responded to his increased workload with the best performance of his young career. Gibbs finished with 152 rushing yards and an electrifying 27-yard touchdown. 

In all, the Alabama product had 189 all-purpose yards on 31 touches. He showed plenty of physicality, creating yards after contact and making defenders miss in the open field. 

DUD: WR Josh Reynolds

Reynolds had just one catch, a 13-yard reception that ended in his first fumble as a Lion. The turnover gave Las Vegas the ball deep in Detroit territory

His presence was not felt as it usually has been throughout the season. That pass was his only target on the night, as his streak of four consecutive games with at least 40 yards receiving came to an end. 

STUD: DT Alim McNeill

McNeill had two sacks Monday night, upping his total to four on the season. The defensive tackle has been superb rushing from the defensive interior. 

He and Alex Anzalone anchored a defensive effort that produced six sacks. The defensive tackle now has a new career-high in sacks, just eight games into the 2023 season. 

Anzalone also had a key tackle for loss in the first quarter, on a third down during Las Vegas' early possession. 

McNeill's ability to rush from inside the tackles has added a new element to Detroit's defense. He finished with four total tackles and a pass defensed, in addition to his two-sack performance.

DUD: EDGE Aidan Hutchinson

Hutchinson struggled to get going in Monday's game, finishing with a meager one tackle in the win. 

He did come close to recording a sack on two occasions, but Jimmy Garoppolo getting the ball away negated his impact. The Michigan product has now been held without a sack for three consecutive games, with him last notching one in Week 5.

STUD: TE Sam LaPorta

LaPorta continued his impressive start, hauling in eight passes for 57 yards and a score. By halftime, he had recorded his 41st reception of the season, a number that broke the previous franchise record for receptions by a rookie tight end. 

He now has four receiving touchdowns on the season, which leads the team heading into the bye week. The talented pass-catcher also continues to grow as a blocker, while demonstrating superb receiving abilities.

STUD: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown

Despite dealing with an illness late in the week and being added to the injury report, St. Brown surpassed the 100-yard mark for the third straight game. He caught six passes for 108 yards. 

He continues to be Detroit's most reliable option. When the offense was sputtering in the first half, he recorded multiple long catches to put the team in position to score. Among those was a 44-yard catch-and-run that set up a field goal. 

STUD: S Kerby Joseph

Joseph recorded his first interception of the season early in the game. After the Lions fumbled to set Las Vegas up with good field position, Joseph promptly intercepted the ensuing pass from Garoppolo. 

As a rookie last season, the Illinois product notched four interceptions. With his first out of the way, Joseph can continue to be a game-changer for the Lions' defense. 

Meanwhile, his teammate at the safety position, Tracy Walker III, recorded a sack in the fourth quarter.