Insane D'Andre Swift Stat Demonstrates Dominance Of The RB & His Offensive Line

D’Andre Swift and the Detroit Lions have been arguably the NFL’s most dominant team moving the ball on the ground.

D’Andre Swift and the Detroit Lions have been arguably the NFL’s most dominant team moving the ball on the ground. And this latest stat adds fuel to this narrative.

The Lions offensive line has been a force since the start of the season. They have made it nearly impossible for defenders to get to their running backs in the backfield. And this has led both D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams to put up big numbers when on the field.

Ben Baldwin, a known football analytics mastermind, recently took a look at just how dominant the Lions running backs have been. He specifically noted how Swift has been able to move the ball behind this offensive line.

Expected and Actual yards per carry given defender position at time of handoff

Going to go out on a limb and say that the James Conner and, especially, Chase Edmonds deals have already not aged well pic.twitter.com/gRgoxjItiO

— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) October 4, 2022

In the chart, Baldwin takes a look at running backs' expected yards per carry versus their actual yards per carry per attempt based on where opposing defenders are at the time of the handoff. Swift is seen in the top right corner. Based on the numbers, Swift is averaging 8.6 actual yards per carry, while his expected number is nearly three yards less.

The next closest player is Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones, who is averaging nearly a yard and a half less than Swift.

Swift has played just three games this season after being sidelined in Week 4. He has still rushed for 231 yards and one touchdown on just 27 attempts. At the moment, he is leading the NFL in yards per carry with 8.6.

Swift’s counterpart Jamaal Williams has also been solid with the ball in his hands. Through four games, he has rushed for 276 yards and six touchdowns on 62 carries. His six rushing touchdowns are the most in the NFL. Along with this, he is currently averaging 4.5 yards per carry.

The Lions seemingly have two RB1s in their backfield. And with this offensive line, they could both end up atop the rushing list come the end of the season.