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The Detroit Lions have struggled for the better part of a season to find any internal solutions at running back, but finally, one seems to have presented itself in the form of Bo Scarbrough.
Struggling with injuries in the backfield, the Lions had tried numerous players who were on the fringe of NFL rosters, but none made the type of early impression that Scarbrough did. It barely took him five minutes to score his first touchdown in the NFL, and after that, Scarbrough also impressed with his ability to plow through the hole, lower his shoulder and pack a punch. Easily, he had the best debut of any Lions runner over the past month.
According to Scarbrough, though, it wasn’t any big surprise.
“It’s something that I expected. I’ve been doing this a long time. It’s just that Matty P gave me the opportunity. I want to thank him for giving me the opportunity,” Scarbrough told the media after the game. “It’s something I’ve always done. It’s nothing surprising or to be proud of, just another opportunity for another day.”
Another positive about Scarbrough? His attitude, which is nothing but team first at this point in time.
“I’m going to do my job, whatever it is to help the team win. If I have to give someone a cup of water to win, that’s what I’m going to do,” Scarbrough said honestly after the game.
Even though Scarbrough had a nice day running the ball rumbling for 55 yards and a score, it didn’t mean anything to him in the end because the Lions lost the game.
“I don’t ever feel like it’s enough. Winning is more than the individual player. It doesn’t matter how I feel, it’s how the team feels, the organization,” he said.
Right now, it should be impossible for the organization to feel anything other than positive about their new running back. Though he won’t say it, Scarbrough earned another chance and then some with the Lions, and certainly looks capable of being the lead dog at running back as long as he needs to be. He ran with purpose and confidently accepted the role. Life is about opportunities, and Scarbrough accepted his head on.
In a season of negatives for the Lions, the emergence of Scarbrough as a potential slam dunk starter could be seen as a major positive both for now and moving forward.
Bo Scarbrough Stats
How did Scarbrough get here>? Working in a major tandem backfield with the Crimson Tide, Scarbrough was a seventh round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2018. After being released in Dallas, Scarborough played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks, a place he stuck until 2019, when he was released as part of final roster cuts in late August. Thus far in his career, Scarborough hasn’t registered an NFL statistic to this point in his career.
As a member of the Crimson Tide, Scarbrough was a solid running back. He accounted for 1,512 yards and 20 touchdowns with Alabama, and was the MVP of the Peach Bowl in 2016. While Scarbrough never made an impact in the NFL thus far, he will likely never have a better chance to break through in the league than the one he might get in Detroit.
The Lions ground game is in bad shape given injury and inconsistency, and it will be interesting to see if the Lions elevate Scarbrough to the roster given the struggles of Paul Perkins, J.D. McKissic and Ty Johnson to run the ball consistently in the absence of Kerryon Johnson.
Bo Scarbrough’s Future With Lions
In essentially what could be a job audition for 2020, Scarbrough has managed to make a big impression early on for the Lions, which is something that fans will be very happy to see. It also has to be very rewarding for Scarbrough to score this touchdown against the team that drafted him and then promptly gave up on him, even if he’s not admitting it.
So far, the Lions have taken a step forward with Scarbrough in the mix, and it would not be a surprise to see him get the call multiple times in the weeks ahead. He’s got the style and the right mindset in order to become a fixture in the backfield.
While it might seem premature to declare this after one game, so rarely do running backs make the kind of fast impression Scarbrough did. As a result, that should leave him in the mix for plenty in 2019 as well as a guy who could make a case for 2020 as well.
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