D'Andre Swift Leads NFL RBs in Receiving Yards

D'Andre Swift is having a productive sophomore campaign in the NFL.

The Lions have to be pleased with the production of D'Andre Swift to start the 2021 season. 

For starters, in Week 3, the second-year running back posted a Pro Football Focus grade of 82.1, the highest mark of any Lions offensive player for the week. 

Along with that, the Georgia product has amassed at least 70 scrimmage yards in each of his last six games, dating back to the 2020 campaign. The only other players who have accomplished that in the same time span are the Minnesota Vikings' Dalvin Cook and the Tennessee Titans' Derrick Henry. 

Additionally, he leads all NFL running backs in receiving yards (166), and averages 5.6 yards per touch, which is tied for the league lead among all backs with 50-or-more touches. 

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Swift's early season success has led many Detroit fans to argue that he should supplant Jamaal Williams as the team's starter at running back. 

Yes, you read that right. Swift has yet to start a game through the first three weeks of the 2021 season. 

However, Swift doesn't view it as an issue. 

“Winning, first and foremost, matters to me. Starting doesn't matter to me at all," Swift explained to reporters Wednesday. "As long as I'm able to impact the team and impact the game in some way, shape or form, it's fine with me." 

Next up for Swift and the Lions is an NFC North divisional matchup with the Chicago Bears Sunday. It will give Swift the opportunity to go head-to-head with a former Georgia teammate of his in linebacker Roquan Smith. 

Smith has led the Bears in tackles every season since he entered the league in 2018. The 2018 No. 8 overall pick finished with a career-high 139 total tackles in 2020. 

Swift told reporters Wednesday about how he, as a freshman with the Bulldogs in 2017, had the chance to often square off with Smith in practice. 

"I was going against him a lot," Swift said. "He was fast, sideline to sideline. One of the best cover linebackers I went against, still to this day." 

He and Smith remain "real tight," according to Swift. And, when he suits up on Sunday, he intends on using his friendship with Smith as an additional source of motivation to have a big game. 

"(I'm) definitely looking forward to the matchup," Swift said. "Great linebacker, great instincts. Just going to make me turn up my game even more." 

Lions head coach Dan Campbell understands that the Bears will present a challenge for his team -- and on both sides of the ball. 

"Defensively, they present issues, particularly with that front, Roquan (Smith), (Bears safety) Eddie (Jackson) back there. They’ve got a number of matchup issues for us that we’ve got to be ready to handle," Campbell expressed Wednesday. "Offensively, it’s kind of the tale of, ‘Who’s playing a little bit? Who’s that quarterback going to be?’ But, we know they’ve got a good receiver, they’ve got a good back. We know they can function offensively. So, that’s what we’re getting ready for.”