Cincinnati Bengals running back D’Andre Swift is key to his third-move-breakout campaign. It’s his goal to redeem the disappointment that has come to define his 2024 campaign. Following a three-year, $24 million free agent deal with the Bears, Swift is looking to level up. He wants to do better than last season, where he had just one game rushing over 100 yards in 17 games. As he looks ahead to the new season, Swift understands that team accomplishments lead to personal accolades. He knows that when his team is successful, everybody looks good.
In the last season, Swift hit 959 rushing yards, which placed him at 18th overall among all opposing NFL running backs. He averaged only 3.8 yards per attempt, both this year and his entire career. His rushing performance resulted in five touchdowns, placing him 24th among his compatriots. Even amidst these numbers, Swift’s salary is certainly an outlier. It’s the 11th highest for running backs across the NFL. This financial commitment is a sign of the Bears’ faith in his chances to bounce back in 2023.
The 2024 season proved a rollercoaster for Swift, who was unable to get into any kind of rhythm. He shone as the fulcrum of the league’s best rushing offense. Getting to that level of success, teammate Jahmyr Gibbs and former Bear David Montgomery both assisted in raising Gibbs’ game the past two years. Swift’s scrimmage yards averaged 79.1 per game, which marked the best of his career, showcasing his potential when utilized effectively.
As a ball-carrier Swift’s running style is a mix of power and finesse. He’s using inside zone runs for 12.8% of his total rushes, but his gap scheme runs account for 16.7%. Power runs comprised 7.1% of his attempts. The offensive line’s performance plays a significant role in a running back’s effectiveness, and Swift has previously benefited from strong blocking schemes. In 2023, the Eagles’ starting five provided him a near optimal chance to succeed. With their support, he achieved career-best numbers across the board in terms of rushing attempts and yards.
As he looks ahead, Swift knows that he’ll be leaning on a big year from himself as the Bears’ RB1. The team has been surprisingly passive in their changes to the running back unit. This creates even more of an incentive for him to raise his game.
“When team success is at a premium, everything else is going to fall in line.” – D’Andre Swift
Declan Doyle, the Bears’ offensive coordinator, is approaching fall with an encouraging outlook. He mentioned that their distanced, wide zone runs have been pretty encouraging in practices. He noted that they were still working on their run schemes.
“Our wide zone has looked good the last few days and I know that we have a lot more install to put in with the run schemes,” – Declan Doyle
Doyle praised the team’s efforts to add new tactics without bogging down players. He discussed their ongoing focus on figuring out which schemes are most appropriate for their people.
“It’s not like we’re introducing everything all at once. We want to be multiple and have the ability to do more. As we go, just being really critical about evaluating these schemes, is it something that fits us? If it’s not, then it’ll get removed.” – Declan Doyle
Despite some perception challenges when it comes to his position group, Swift is still intent on showing his haters why they’ll regret doubting him. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson admitted that, while he understands the public perception, the perception does not match on the ground with the talent they have in their RB room.
“I know the perception out there is that maybe it’s not the most talented room in the world,” – Ben Johnson
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