Philadelphia Eagles RB D'Andre Swift Production Fading After Strong Start
Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni acknowledged after a narrow Week 1 victory over the New England Patriots that the team needed to get running back D'Andre Swift more touches. And over the next two weeks, that's exactly what happened, as Swift rushed for a career-high 175 yards against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2, and 130 in Tampa Bay in Week 3.
But since rushing for a combined 305 yards in consecutive victories between Weeks 2 and 3, Swift hasn't sniffed 100 yards on the ground in a game. In fact, the highest single-game totals he's posted since then were 76 and 80 in wins against the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills in Weeks 11 and 12, respectively. In blowout losses the last two weeks, Swift has received 17 total carries for just 52 yards.
The Philadelphia Eagles need D'Andre Swift as they look to rebound from consecutive losses.
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Of course, Swift isn't Derrick Henry -- the 28 carries he had in Week 2 against the Vikings weren't sustainable. He's 5-9, 215 pounds and already has 178 carries this season. His previous career high came in 2021, when he carried the ball 151 times for the Detroit Lions. There may be an element of the Eagles preserving Swift for the postseason, given that he hasn't previously played in more than 14 games in a season.
At the same time, a good way to preserve Swift and the entirety of the team is to get a first-round bye, which the Eagles are now in danger of not doing after consecutive blowout losses to the 49ers and Cowboys.
Offensive coordinator Brian Johnson seems to have fallen in love with using quarterback Jalen Hurts on designed runs. To a degree, it's understandable, because Hurts' legs are obviously a tremendous threat. But doing so exposes Hurts -- who has dealt with a left knee injury for a portion of the season -- to being hit. It also opens up the possibility that he fumbles the ball, as he did in the first quarter of Sunday evening's loss to the Cowboys.
This isn't about standing outside the Novacare Complex with signs demanding the Eagles run the ball more consistently, or screaming into the void to "establish the running game" because that's what some football fans have been programmed to do every time a team struggles from decades of listening to lowest-common denominator sports talk.
But the best version of the 2023 Eagles has come when Swift is a major part of the game plan. Any preseason hopes of a Kenneth Gainwell breakout haven't come to fruition, as he's averaging 3.7 yards per carry on 63 totes. Boston Scott is a nice weapon -- particularly with two matchups against the New York Giants still looming -- but he's not a feature back. And for whatever reason, Rashaad Penny has seen a whopping five carries this season.
And so, you're left with one conclusion -- as the Eagles try to alleviate pressure on Hurts and a seemingly exhausted defense, getting Swift back to the forefront of the offense in the final month of the regular season would be best for everyone involved.
