DETROIT — It took them long enough, but the Lions finally acknowledged what you already knew. And what they already knew, too: D'Andre Swift is Detroit's No. 1 running back.
He's probably their most valuable offensive weapon as well, especially with Kenny Golladay sidelined by an injury again. And Sunday, with the Lions' season on the line — and plenty more, we assume — they actually treated the rookie as such, giving Swift his first career start and then following his fleet-footed lead to a nerve-racking win over Washington at Ford Field.
Swift finished Sunday's game with a career-best 149 scrimmage yards on 21 touches, a 15-yard touchdown reception, and a handful of crucial plays in the fourth quarter after the Lions found a way to cough up a 24-3 lead late in the game.
"When he had opportunities to make plays today, he made some great ones," quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "Some huge runs there in the second half, a big catch for a touchdown as well. I was really happy with the way he played. I know he had a bunch of fun out there, running around and making plays."
Well, that's why they invested all that draft capital in him, isn't it? Facing a make-or-break 2020 season, Lions general manager Bob Quinn certainly didn't use the 35th overall pick on a running back just to watch him stand on the sidelines while a 35-year-old veteran free agent — even one with first-ballot Hall of Fame credentials — shouldered the backfield load this fall.
