Getty D'Andre Swift celebrates a touchdown with Jared Goff in 2022.
The Detroit Lions lost in Week 8, but one bit of positive news for the team moving forward was how they seemingly rediscovered their offense along the way.
For most of the first half, the Lions moved the ball effectively and efficiently. They looked like a changed team, and a big reason for this was the presence of names like running back D’Andre Swift and wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Detroit’s dynamic duo in terms of moving the ball helped the Lions create some mismatches on offense, and that was big news in the game.
Speaking to the media on Monday, October 31, Swift discussed his role with the team the rest of 2022, and said to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com and other reporters that his role should increase as he moves past the injuries which slowed him down.
“D’Andre Swift said he expects his role to increase moving forward the more he progresses past the shoulder and ankle injuries,” Twentyman tweeted.
More Swift will be a good thing for the Lions, especially if he is healthy. The team seemed to miss him in the biggest way when he was gone given his ability to make plays out of the backfield.
Keeping Swift healthy has to be the biggest goal for the team, but with him back, the Lions can keep thinking about how to integrate him into the offense and make it as dangerous as possible.
Swift Makes Detroit’s Offense Go
The Lions had suffered through a two game power outage on offense scoring only six points, but as the game against Miami went on, it looked more and more like the reason for this was the absence of some star players.
Swift came back and made his presence felt in a big way. He got into the end zone and helped set plenty up on offense. He would finish with 33 total yards and a score on the afternoon and this fantastic touchdown to his credit:
.@DAndreSwift @taylorswift13
🤝
Making a return
#MIAvsDET | 📺 CBS
Swift’s ability to make big plays with his legs and serve as a mismatch in the passing game seemed to shift the Miami defense. That’s good news as it relates to his possible productivity moving forward.
Both Swift and St. Brown will remain important to the Lions, and might be the most significant way moving forward to keep the offense consistent. It was clear at the end of Sunday’s game how much Swift was missed.
How Lions Should Use Swift Moving Forward
Through the years, Swift has endured his notable mishaps in terms of injuries, and this season was looking like it was set to slip away from him as well until the extended absence seemed to breath new life into his ailing ankle.
While Swift didn’t put up the biggest stats in his first game back, the Lions seemed to use him effectively as both a runner and recevier. The majority of the carries went to Jamaal Williams, who was the goal line sledgehammer. Swift continued to flash in the passing game.
If the Lions can keep Swift healthy by not overusing him, they could stand to benefit in a big way. While he probably will get more snaps and action, not overusing Swift seems to be the key toward keeping him as a dangerous component for the offense.
Swift seems to know his impact will go up, and that is the good news as the Lions push to find something consistent on offense the rest of the 2022 season. It’s likely Swift himself can help the team bring the consistent edge they’ve been missing.