Apparently, 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns is the unfinished version of Jahmyr Gibbs.

Good luck with that.

Gibbs was the engine of the Detroit Lions’ offense in Sunday’s wild 31-30 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints, carrying a career-high 29 times for 156 yards while adding five receptions for another 30 yards. He accounted for 186 of Detroit’s 369 total yards, or just over half of the Lions’ entire offensive output. The Lions’ official postgame breakdown confirmed both the career-high workload and Gibbs’ massive share of the offense.

And afterward, Dan Campbell essentially told the rest of the NFL that this was not even the finished product.

“I thought it was a very promising Week 1. Certainly we know what Gibbs is and what he’s capable of, and he’s still not there yet. And I mean that in a good way.”

That is the scary part.

Campbell Saw Bigger Runs Waiting to Happen

Gibbs averaged 5.4 yards per carry Sunday without producing one of the absurdly long touchdown runs that have become part of his reputation. His longest run went for 21 yards.

According to Campbell, Detroit was painfully close to turning several other carries into much more.

“I’m telling you, we were this close to breaking three or four more of these, breaking them wide open. Shoestring away. Just a little longer block at the second level.”

Campbell’s assessment lines up with what Detroit believed entering the season. Gibbs had already made it clear he was comfortable taking on a larger role, something we examined when he addressed questions about an expanded workload earlier this offseason. The Lions backed up that belief Sunday by feeding him 29 carries, far beyond the workload he routinely received during his first three NFL seasons.

And Campbell believes there is still another level coming.

“We’re going to get that cleaned up and he’s going to get better.”

Well, terrific.

For everyone except the teams trying to tackle him.

Jahmyr Gibbs Already Looks Like Detroit’s Offensive Centerpiece

This was always going to be a different season for Gibbs.

Detroit committed to him financially with a massive contract extension in August, locking him into the organization’s long-term plans and effectively confirming what had already become obvious: the Lions view Gibbs as one of the foundational pieces of their offense. We covered what Gibbs said about Detroit after signing that extension.

Week 1 showed what that can look like.

Gibbs did not simply hit a home run and disappear for stretches. He repeatedly kept Detroit ahead of the chains, handled a heavy volume and remained involved in the passing game. ESPN noted that his 29 rushing attempts established a new career high, while Gibbs said afterward he had no concerns about handling the workload.

Campbell certainly did not sound worried.

“I like where he’s at. I’m glad he’s here.”

So are Lions fans.

The more unsettling part, at least for Buffalo and everyone else on Detroit’s schedule, is Campbell’s insistence that the version of Gibbs who just produced 186 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns still has room to improve.

That is less an evaluation than a warning.