3 Detroit Lions that need to play better to make the Super Bowl

Jahmyr Gibbs needs to prove the Lions right

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is one of the hottest names on the coaching carousel right now. After what he's done in crafting Detroit's offense into one of the best in the league, that's no surprise.

In Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, and David Montgomery, the Lions have playmakers all over the field. St. Brown is as reliable a receiver as there is in the league, LaPorta is already one of the game's best tight ends as a rookie, and Montgomery eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing in his first year in the Motor City. For the Lions offense to really hum, though, they need to put a spotlight on rookie tailback Jahmyr Gibbs.

Fans have been clamoring all year for Johnson to unleash the explosive runner out of Alabama. Few players in the league are as exciting in the open field, and it really feels like the young star has a chance to take it to the house every time he touches the ball.

Gibbs has scored a touchdown in each of the Lions' two playoff games, and he made the most of his 13 touches last week, turning them into 114 yards. In the words of Kylo Ren, though, MORE.

Gibbs was only fully handed the keys to the offense one time this year, and in that game, he blew past the Raiders like they were a Las Vegas tumbleweed. Thirty-one touches, 189 yards, and one touchdown on Monday Night Football proved that he could handle a bigger workload on an even bigger stage, but he hasn't eclipsed 19 touches since.

David Montgomery missed that Raiders game with a rib injury, and since his return, Gibbs has gone back to being a complementary yet essential piece in this offense. In no way am I saying that Montgomery is a bad player--he's been an asset to this Lions team and should be a core part of their gameplan on Sunday. But he's not Gibbs. Johnson needs to give his young back 20+ touches and let him carry the Lions to the Super Bowl.