The Detroit Lions are currently one of the most dominant teams in the NFC.

As the 2024 NFL season progresses, they are proving hard to stop, excelling on offense while playing a relentless, suffocating style of defense.

On offense, quarterback Jared Goff is having the best season of his career.

He’s surrounded by a talented group of playmakers, and despite a rough game against the Texans where he threw five interceptions, the Lions are the second-highest scoring team in the NFL, averaging 31.6 points per game.

Through the first half of 2024, Goff has passed for 2,080 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.

His performance, along with the weapons around him, has made Detroit’s passing attack a nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators.

But what makes the Lions even more dangerous is their impressive ground game.

Running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have emerged as one of the NFL’s top duos.

Gibbs, who is building on an outstanding rookie season, ranks among the best running backs in multiple categories.

Over the past season and a half, Gibbs has accumulated 1,672 rushing yards (10th in the NFL), 5.5 yards per carry (2nd), 17 rushing touchdowns (5th), and 2,190 scrimmage yards (8th).

His 19 total scrimmage touchdowns rank 8th overall, despite having only 304 carries (20th most) and 378 touches (18th most) in the NFL since 2023.

Gibbs’ versatility as a runner and pass-catcher has made him an invaluable weapon for the Lions.

However, in a recent interview, Gibbs revealed that he was very close to landing with another NFC team that could use a talent like him—none other than the Dallas Cowboys.

During an appearance on the “Richard Sherman Podcast,” Gibbs shared that he didn’t expect to be drafted by Detroit in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Lions selected him with the 12th overall pick, but Gibbs admits that he wasn’t sure he would go that high in the draft. “To Detroit, no, I really didn’t expect to go there.

I knew they liked me, but you know when you go on a visit, it seems like they all like you,” Gibbs explained to Sherman.

Gibbs then went on to reveal that he had a strong feeling the Dallas Cowboys were planning to draft him if he was still available at the 26th pick.

Additionally, he had heard that the Cincinnati Bengals were looking to trade up to the 18th pick to select him if he was still on the board.

“It was crazy. I knew for a fact Dallas was going to get me at 26 if I was still there, and a couple other places like Cincinnati were going to get me.

I think they [the Bengals] were going to trade up to like 18 or something around that range. I didn’t think I was going to go 12th,” Gibbs said.

The Cowboys, who have struggled with their running back situation since the departure of Tony Pollard, could certainly use a player like Gibbs right now.

Instead of addressing their running back need in the offseason, Jerry Jones decided to bring back veteran Ezekiel Elliott, who has had little impact this season. The Cowboys have also relied on journeyman Rico Dowdle as their starting running back.

As a result, Dallas’ rushing offense ranks near the bottom of the league, currently sitting at 31st in the NFL.

The Cowboys are averaging just 3.8 yards per carry and less than 84 yards per game on the ground.

Gibbs, on the other hand, has been thriving in Detroit, showing no signs of slowing down.

His ability to contribute both in the rushing and passing game has made him one of the most dynamic young running backs in the league.

While the Lions are undoubtedly benefiting from having him on their roster, it’s hard not to wonder how much the Cowboys would have liked to have added him to their lineup.

Had Gibbs ended up in Dallas, he could have been the spark the Cowboys’ ground game desperately needs.

But for now, the Lions are reaping the rewards of their decision to draft him, and Dallas is left to regret what could have been.