NFL Thursday night: Former Alabama ball-carrier matches Barry Sanders

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored three touchdowns in a 44-30 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night to put his name beside Barry Sanders for a pair of NFL bests.

Sanders scored 47 touchdowns from 1989 through 1991 for the Lions — the most for any player in NFL history in his first three seasons and before his 24^th birthday.

Gibbs lifted his touchdown total to 47 as he equaled Sanders for both bests. The former Alabama standout has four games remaining in his third NFL season, and his 24^th birthday is on March 20.

Gibbs scored on a 1-yard run as Detroit took a 10-3 lead with 2:14 left in the first quarter, a 10-yard run with 7:17 to play as the Lions went ahead 37-27 and a 13-yard run with 2:19 remaining to set the final margin.

Gibbs’ first touchdown also became part of a record-setting pair when Detroit running back David Montgomery broke away on a 35-yard touchdown run with 4:27 left in the first half. Gibbs and Montgomery have scored in the same game 15 times, the most for a pair of running backs in the NFL’s Super Bowl era. They surpassed the 14 games of the Cowboys’ Emmitt Smith and Daryl Johnston.

Gibbs finished with 43 yards on 12 rushing attempts. He also caught seven passes for 77 yards.

“He’s unique. He’s special,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “Everybody knows what he can do in the run game, and really we couldn’t quite get him going the way we wanted to in the run game. But yet, he did find some paydirt on a couple of those. But the pass-game stuff, he continues to grow. The more we give him and the more we work with him in practice, we just continue to try to open his horizons and give him a little bit more, man, he just grows. He gets better and better, and then he gets in the game and the routes get crisper and crisper.

“He just keeps going, man. There’s just not a cap on this dude yet. And there again, he works his tail off. He’s freaking smart. He’s instinctive. He’s a team guy. He’s something else, so the sky’s the limit for him. He’s just getting started now.”

In addition to Gibbs, 11 other players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field on Thursday night at Ford Field in Detroit:

• Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
• Tyler Booker (Alabama) started at right guard for the Cowboys.
• Cowboys cornerback Trikweze Bridges (Lanett) did not record any stats.
• Brian Branch (Alabama) started at safety for the Lions. Branch made six tackles, registered one quarterback hit, broke up one pass and recovered one fumble. Branch recovered a fumble at the Detroit 47-yard line with 6:15 left in the first half, and the Lions turned the takeaway into a touchdown for a 17-6 lead. Branch left the game because of an ankle injury with 3:45 to play.
• Lions wide receiver Malik Cunningham (Park Crossing) gained 1 yard on his first NFL rushing attempt. Detroit elevated Cunningham from its practice squad to make him eligible to play, and he made his first appearance since playing in two games in the 2023 season.
• Lions linebacker Zach Cunningham (Pinson Valley) is on the injured reserve and not eligible to play.
• Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
• Cowboys tight end Rivaldo Fairweather (Auburn) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
• Cowboys wide receiver Traeshon Holden (Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
• Lions offensive lineman Chris Hubbard (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
• Cowboys linebacker Shemar James (Faith Academy) made one tackle on defense and three tackles on special teams.
• George Pickens (Hoover) started at wide receiver for the Cowboys. Pickens had five receptions for 37 yards.
• Reddy Steward (Austin, Troy) started at defensive back for the Cowboys. Steward made three tackles.
• Lions safety Daniel Thomas (Lee-Montgomery, Auburn) made one tackle on defense, broke up one pass and had one tackle on special teams. Playing without safety Kerby Joseph, Detroit lost safeties Thomas Harper and Brian Branch to injuries during the game, which put Thomas, usually a special-teams specialist, in the Lions secondary.
• Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (McGill-Toolen, South Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.
• Jameson Williams (Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Lions. Williams equaled his career single-game high for receptions set on Sunday with seven, which gained 96 yards. He also gained 7 yards on a rushing attempt.
• Quinnen Williams (Wenonah, Alabama) started at defensive tackle for the Cowboys. Williams made four tackles and registered one quarterback hit.
• Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams (Lee-Montgomery) made three tackles, registered one quarterback hit and blocked one field-goal attempt.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

The Lions and Cowboys entered the game battling to stay in the NFC playoff race, with both teams outside the current seven-team field. Each team now has four games remaining on its regular-season schedule.

In its next game, Detroit (8-5) plays the Los Angeles Rams at 3:25 p.m. CST Dec. 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Dallas (6-6-1) plays the Minnesota Vikings at 7:20 p.m. Dec. 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.