Getty Lions running back D'Andre Swift after a game against the Ravens on September 26, 2021.
D’Andre Swift has been a revelation for the Detroit Lions so far this season at running back, and the youngster continues to impress in a ton of ways on the field.
Swift has started the season in strong fashion even as he was dinged up through training camp and into the preseason. Even such, that hasn’t stopped him from producing in a big way so far after getting on the field. When he was a draft pick of the Lions in 2019, many folks thought Swift had the talent to stack up with the big names, and so far, that’s easily been the case.
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Dating back to the 2020 season statistically, Swift is comparing with two of the best running backs in football in Dalvin Cook of the Minnesota Vikings and Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans. As a tweet from Lions PR pointed out, Swift joins those players as the only ones in the league with 70+ yards from scrimmage in his last six games.
The only @NFL players with 70+ scrimmage yards in each of their last 6 games:
– @Lions RB @DAndreSwift
– Dalvin Cook
– Derrick Henry
Swift also leads all #NFL RBs in receiving yards (166) & averages 5.6 yards/touch, tied for the lead among all RBs with 50+ touches.
Coming into the season, there was a thought that Swift could be as good a dual-threat option at running back as there is in the NFL, and the early work has certainly proven that to be the case. Swift scored a passing touchdown in Week 1 and a rushing touchdown in Week 3. All the while, he’s been dangerous whenever he has touched the ball as these stats continue to prove.
With health and time, it’s clear Swift is still poised to become one of the most dangerous runners in the league.
Dan Campbell Praises Swift as ‘Dynamic’ Player
Campbell knew what he was getting in Swift when he became the Detroit coach this past offseason, but even he has been surprised and pleased by what Swift has brought to the table. As Campbell said when speaking with the media on Wednesday, September 29, Swift is a dynamic player that is only getting better.
“He’s a weapon for us, he really is. He’s a dynamic player and I think just every week is improving,” Campbell said. “The more he shows, the more we put on him. Because look, it’s one thing physically but another thing mentally. There’s a lot we’re asking him to do. I thought he handled it pretty well the other day (against Baltimore). It wasn’t perfect, but certainly it was enough to help us move the football down the field.”
Swift’s 2021 season has started slow thanks to the groin injury he has battled, but once he continues to push through that, it’s clear the staff has a major belief in what he can do.
Campbell Planning Bigger Role for Swift
Even though Swift has essentially been eased back into action so far this season early on, he has put up some very solid statistics. Thus far, Swift has put up 123 rushing yards and 1 touchdown on the ground to go with 166 receiving yards and 1 touchdown through the air. That’s the kind of balanced performance that plenty of players in the league strive for, but Campbell believes that he will be able to unlock Swift even more as the 2021 season moves along. As a result, folks shouldn’t read too much into not seeing him get starting touches early in games this year.
“I think it was more of hey, let’s see where he’s at. He’s still kind of coming off these injuries. We got to use him the right way, be careful, let Jamaal (Williams) start,” Campbell said. “Jamaal’s been here the full time. I certainly think you’re going to see a lot more Swift. He could very easily be out there first play. He’s done enough to earn that for sure.”
Being smart with Swift might only help to unlock his potential more as the season goes on, which could help the runner remain even more dangerous with the ball in his hands.
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