GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The alternate uniforms had not arrived yet for Dalton Junior High School in Georgia, so Jahmyr Gibbs had to make a quick decision ahead of the first game.
He chose No. 20, in honor of Detroit Lions great Barry Sanders, whom he had recently started studying through YouTube clips.
Born on March 20, 2002, Gibbs wasn't alive when Sanders etched his name among Detroit sports royalty while dazzling fans from 1989 to 1998 with his elusive style, but on Sunday, Gibbs left his own mark.
He passed Sanders for the most NFL touchdowns (58) before turning 25 to help the Lions beat the Arizona Cardinals 45-21.
"Impressive. It's very cool that it's Barry's record, too. He's got a lot of comparisons there," Lions quarterback Jared Goff said of Gibbs. "But he's unbelievable. He really is. We did a good job in the run game and still probably didn't do as well as we could, and he made a lot of guys miss in the backfield."
At 5:03 in the fourth, Gibbs surpassed his childhood idol in Sanders style, bouncing off a defender and then reversing up the right side of the field for his second rushing touchdown of the day. That play pushed Detroit's lead to 45-14. Gibbs finished with 151 rushing yards and 56 receiving yards.
Gibbs, who in 2023 became Detroit's highest-drafted running back since Sanders in 1989, said he is now "for sure" chasing NFL legend LaDainian Tomlinson's record for the most rushing touchdowns in a season (28 in 2006). Gibbs has seven rushing TDs and two receiving TDs through five games, his nine-TD total the most in the NFL.
"I feel pretty good. Guys are doing a great job blocking, receivers too down the field," Gibbs said after Sunday's win. "They make my job easier. I just try to hand over the leftovers."
Sanders was one of the Lions' legends on hand for Gibbs' arrival to Detroit after he was drafted. They shared personal stories while riding together to the practice facility, and Sanders was among the first to congratulate Gibbs via social media on his latest achievement.
"Congrats Jahmyr Gibbs and the team," Sanders wrote on X. "Awesome to see another @Lions have this record."
Gibbs made history even though Detroit's pattern of slow starts continued against the Cardinals. The offense went three-and-out on the first three drives before coming alive in the second quarter by scoring 24 points.
After trailing 7-0 to start the second quarter, the Lions scored on seven straight drives before punting on their final drive, the longest streak by any team this season. Goff finished 19-of-30 for 271 passing yards, with three passing touchdowns and a rushing TD. Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams also logged two catches for his first two touchdowns of the season, and tight end Sam LaPorta caught five passes for 88 yards and a touchdown.
Gibbs said it felt "just like old times" with the offense finding a groove.
"It's so fun getting everybody the ball, seeing everybody having explosives, everybody having fun, celebrating. Hitting cellies ... it's fun when we're all clicking," Gibbs said.
The Lions' offense is averaging 32.8 points per game this season, the most in the NFL. Detroit's defense also rose to the occasion Sunday after entering the game allowing a league-worst 31.8 points per game as defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard faced heavy criticism.
After giving up a touchdown on the Cardinals' opening drive, the defense adjusted, limiting Arizona to 14 points the rest of the game.
The Lions enter the bye week with momentum at 3-2 as they also look forward to the return of Pro Bowl defensive back Brian Branch, who has been sidelined since 2025 because of a torn Achilles but recently saw his 21-day practice window opened.
Goff, who has 12 passing touchdowns and zero interceptions this season, will certainly enjoy the rest, but with the way the team is rolling, he said he wishes he could keep going.
"You almost wish we could play like tomorrow after a game like today," Goff said, smiling.