DETROIT — From the instant Jared Goff placed the ball in his hands, Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs knew exactly where he was headed — straight for the end zone — and there was nothing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could do to stop him.

With 6:01 remaining before halftime, the Lions led 7-0 and faced a first-and-10 from their own 22-yard line. Gibbs looked ahead and saw nothing but a solid black wall — his dominant offensive line — driving the Buccaneers’ front far from the line of scrimmage.

The third-year rusher sliced through the opening up the middle, reaching a blazing top speed of 23.23 miles per hour on a career-long 78-yard touchdown run that pushed Detroit’s advantage to 14-0 after Jake Bates’ extra point.

That play was one of many in a night filled with fireworks, as Gibbs turned in a record-setting showing that powered the Lions to a 24-9 victory over the Buccaneers at Ford Field.

Gibbs wrapped up the evening with a career-best 218 all-purpose yards, tallying 17 carries for 136 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while adding three receptions for 82 yards — one of which went for 30.

“It feels great,” Gibbs told reporters following the game. “I like operating in space a lot. That’s when I feel like I’m at my best.”

The Lions’ young star also became just the 10th player in NFL history to record at least 135 rushing yards, 80 receiving yards, and two rushing touchdowns in a single game. The last to accomplish that was former NFL standout Chris Johnson back in 2009.

Wearing a Detroit Pistons Cade Cunningham jersey and a Detroit Tigers cap while meeting the media, Gibbs said he didn’t feel any different heading into Monday’s primetime matchup despite the stakes of the contest.

He didn’t enter the game with any added motivation or sense that a special performance was coming — it was simply another chance to help his team win.

“I always feel like I can do that,” Gibbs said. “Some games go that way, some don’t. But at the end of the day, I just want to do whatever it takes for us to win.”

Gibbs’ breakout effort was crucial in helping Detroit extend its streak of avoiding consecutive losses, a run that dates back to Week 8 of the 2022 season. While the numbers themselves don’t mean much to him, he did acknowledge the moment’s importance.

“This is my first 200 total yards from scrimmage game,” the soft-spoken running back said. “So yeah, I guess it’s pretty special.”