Allen Park — Two weeks after their starting running back returned from injury, the Detroit Lions are still trying to find the right balance with D’Andre Swift’s usage.
Dealing with residual pain from ankle and shoulder injuries that sidelined him for nearly a month, Swift saw a sharp decline in playing time from two weeks ago to the last game, seeing his snaps dip from 33 against Miami to 10 in Sunday’s victory over Green Bay. And Swift could also be seen on the sideline showing some frustration when not given the opportunities to play more by the coaching staff.
“I think he got pissed off a little bit,” offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “He caught that third down and he was just a little bit short (of the goal line) and we took him out. But that’s good. That’s good. That means he’s going the right direction for us. It’s a balance right now for him because, once again, he hasn’t felt 100%, and that’s been a big part of it.”
Despite the limited snaps, Swift found a way to have an impact with his playing time, including three receptions for 40 yards. The one mentioned by Johnson, a 12-yarder late in the second quarter, converted a third down and set the Lions up with first-and-goal at the 1. The team punched it into the end zone two plays later for the game’s opening score.
Running backs coach Duce Staley, who has had to answer questions about Swift’s health and playing time all season, bristled at questions around the topic Friday, only saying he hopes the running back is able to channel any frustrations he might be dealing with into his play.
“If he is (frustrated), tell him to take that same energy, that same juice and use it on the field,” Staley said.
Since being drafted by the Lions in 2019, Swift has been an electric playmaker, but also plagued with durability issues. Johnson said when it comes to deciding how much work they’re willing to give a banged-up player, the coaching staff can’t simply take the player at his word. Instead, the team leans on data collected via GPS tracking during practice to understand how effective a player is moving, compared to baseline metrics established when he’s healthy.
“We have a whole department with (Lions director of sports performance) Mike Clark that every single day, we hear the volume, the intensity, the guys who we need to keep a look at just out on the practice field, maybe limit the number of practice reps they’re getting just because they’re fatigued. But yeah, we’re on the cutting edge, I think, on all that stuff.”
In five appearances this season, Swift has racked up 247 rushing yards, averaging 7.3 yards per carry, while chipping in another 144 yards on 12 receptions. He’s scored three total touchdowns.
Stability up front
Due to some injury issues, the Lions opened the season having to play some musical chairs along the offensive line. And after giving both Logan Stenberg and Dan Skipper opportunities to start as injury replacements, the team eventually settled on Evan Brown, who has been a stabilizing force filling in at right guard for Halapoulivaati Vaitai.
Johnson said Brown’s dependability and intelligence make it so the offense doesn’t have to play a certain way to cover up a weakness.
“It’s a great feeling that you’re not having to call the game off of somebody upfront,” Johnson said. “Really, we don’t do that, for the most part, unless we have a particularly war daddy on the other side that we’re trying to account for.
“He’s really helped us,” Johnson continued. “He’s been a shot in the arm and the best thing about it, he’s so smart. Because he’s a center, really at his core that he knows exactly what we’re trying to get done. And so, the smarter we are upfront, the more multiple we can be and make it a little bit harder for defenses to defend.”
Brown established his reliability last season, starting 12 games in place of injured center Frank Ragnow. And despite being seen as undersized, Brown’s recent success at guard, establishing reliable versatility at two spots, should only increase his value when he hits free agency at the end of this season.
“With each game and each full-speed rep you get under your belt, you take it all in and you learn from each one,” Brown said. “Just playing the guard position has helped me improve.”
Joseph on track to play
The reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Week, Lions safety Kerby Joseph, has spent the week in concussion protocol, the result of a nasty collision with teammate Jeff Okudah in the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s game against the Packers. But the good news is Kerby is trending toward being back in the lineup this week against Chicago.
“Yes, he is,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “No setbacks there. He’s passed all the protocols to this point. He’s full-go today and as long as there’s no issues, he should be good for the game.”
Kerby intercepted two passes and broke up a third in the victory over Green Bay. The rookie out of the University of Illinois has created turnovers in each of the past three games, forcing a fumble against both Dallas and Miami.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers