Commanders vs. Lions: Can D-Line Stop D'Andre Swift?

Detroit Lions running back D'Andre Swift had a really strong first week. But can he pass his next test against the Washington Commanders defensive line?

Jeremy Brener | Sep 16, 2022

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The Washington Commanders are travelling to the Motor City as underdogs this weekend against the Detroit Lions.

For the first time since Week 11 of the 2020 season, the Lions are favored to win a football game ... but that doesn't concern Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio.

“I respect every opponent we go against," Del Rio said. "I encourage our guys to do the same. I think that's how we're looking at it. It's a good football team. I'm not really concerned about the betting line.”

The Lions scored 35 points at home last week in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The offense is led by D'Andre Swift, who despite not practicing the past two days, feels ready for Sunday.

Del Rio believes Swift is one of the best running backs in the league.

“As talented a player is in the league at that position. I think he's a very, very good runner, excellent contact balance, good speed. Understands how to set up blocks. He can make people miss; he can run away from people. I have a lot of respect for him."

In order to stop Swift, the Commanders defensive line will hope to have a better game than it did last week. The team surrendered 123 rushing yards and a touchdown. And in order to prevent that from happening, the team must rely on veteran defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Allen suffered a groin injury in last week's game, but has been practicing. Del Rio called Payne "sensational" after the last game and hopes it can continue in Week 2.

“I think he was an excellent football player," Del Rio said. "Another guy that's had a tremendous offseason. I thought he was dominant in the first game.”

The winner of the Swift vs. Payne matchup will likely come out on top at the end of Week 2.

The Commanders and Lions kick off at 1 p.m. Sunday.

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Published Sep 16, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.