Duce Staley is not afraid to send messages to D’Andre Swift, and the Lions running backs coach had another for his top pupil based on recent news.
After having playing 10 snaps in Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers, down from 33 snaps the previous week during his first game back after missing three, Detroit Lions running back D’Andre Swift was apparently not happy with that (lack of) work.
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson used a slightly profane word to describe Swift’s sentiment.
I think he got pissed off a little bit,” Johnson said. “He caught that third down and was just a little bit short and we took him out. But that’s good. That’s good. That means he’s going the right direction for us.”
Lions running backs coach Duce Staley is no stranger to pushing and challenging Swift. He challenged the oft-injured back to play through minor injuries during the offseason, and during “Hard Knocks” he could be seen coaching Swift hard.
Duce Staley wants D’Andre Swift to channel his anger in a positive way
Staley talked to the media on Friday. Swift’s “pissed off” sentiment was a natural topic. It is not a direct quote from Swift, mind yoy, it’s purely Johnson saying that is what he thought.
Via Lions Wire (with a video):
When you say frustrated, have you talked to him? So you take that as him being frustrated? Oh, Ben (Johnson) said he was pissed off,” Staley said.”
You can tell I read your clips. Alright, I don’t know, and I will say this, if he is, tell him to take that same energy, that same juice and use it on the field. You tell him that.”
Staley, to no surprise, seems ready to embrace the competitive rage which seems to be coming out of Swift a little bit. But it is a matter of using that rage to positive ends, and taking it out on Lions’ opponents. That’s what Staley (and Lions fans) want to see, not second-hand sentiment from the offensive coordinator about him being unhappy.