After a week off, the Detroit Lions player film spotlight is back. There were so many intriguing candidates from the Lions’ 20-17 win over the Jets in Week 15 that it was very tough to choose.
For this game, the subject is D’Andre Swift. The third-year running back had an interesting game in New York, one that drew raves from some and calls for benching from others. His stats were pretty strong — eight carries for 52 yards and five receptions on nine targets for 23 more yards.
As is the weekly custom, I went back through and rewatched all of Swift’s 27 reps against the Jets. Plays where Swift “won” on his rep or assignment get a plus. Those where he failed get a minus. Not every play earns a mark, though Swift tends to be heavily involved when he’s in the game, so his scorecard features a higher percentage of plays than most.
The polarizing performance from Swift starts on the very first play of the game. No. 32 takes a wide-side pitch to the right and nicely accelerates to the edge. Swift also makes a nice first cut off RT Penei Sewell’s (excellent) block on the outside. Definite plus for that. Yet Swift also poorly reads the next block from WR Josh Reynolds. That’s okay, Swift did a great job getting nine yards on the opening play.
He got the ball on his next rep, too. Swift accelerates through the massive hole created between Sewell and RG Evan Brown (both dominated their blocking marks). One-on-one in space with safety Jermaine Whitehead, Swift gets upended after a seven-yard run. If Swift avoids Whitehead’s dive at his feet, he gains at least five more yards. Swift earns the plus because he went where the play was designed and did so with good speed.
The first passing play where Swift was involved was also his first notch in the minus column. Quarterback Jared Goff hit him in perfect stride in both hands, but the ball squirted through. A linebacker was bearing down on the play but Swift would have had time to pick up the needed yards on second down had he cleanly caught the ball and made a move.
Swift also earned a minus on his first pass protection opportunity. He went for a cut block but dove too early and barely impacted the rush from rookie EDGE Jermaine Johnson. It didn’t result in a pressure on Goff but it’s still a failed assignment.
Swift ended the first half with five plusses and three minuses. All three minuses came in the passing game, one on a block, another the drop, and a third when he went down without contact after the catch.
In the second half, the tally went negative on Swift. He earned four plusses and five minuses. One of the plusses was his best run of the game, a play after eventual hero Brock Wright dropped the first pass of Detroit’s final drive. Swift gained at least two extra yards by finishing his run with some power. He did have another plus negated on a play where offsetting penalties happened.
For the game, Swift wound up with eight plusses and nine minuses. Seven of the nine negative marks came in the passing game, while Swift earned plusses on five of his eight carries in the contest. He was Detroit’s most effective runner in New York, no question.
