Notes: D’Andre Swift will run over people when it’s warranted

Fox 2’s Dan Miller talked to second-year running back D’Andre Swift at practice for an exclusive one-on-one about the ground game in the Detroit Lions offense. In the first few questions, Swift projects great positivity and confidence in the progress being made this year, talking about his own growth and learning as well as feeling like when they are “clicking on all cylinders (he) feels like (the Lions) can be up there with the best teams in the NFL” at running the ball, but they “just got to click on all cylinders from the first play” to accomplish that.

When asked about what it’s like being in a two-back rotation with Jamaal Williams that has been extremely effective in the passing game, Swift is upbeat and raves about the energy that Williams brings to the unit. The last two minutes of the video then turn to a particular high energy play from Week 5 against the Vikings.

You know the truck stick play that’s being talked about; Miller asks Swift to give the backstory behind what happened there:

There was one play, I think it was a third down. They threw it to me and (Vikings defender Bashaud Breeland) was holding onto my leg. I’m like, “Get off my leg.” He said something crazy. So I’m like, “okay.” So when I caught the ball the next time and I seen it was him, I had made my mind up what I was going to do.

Miller laughs and tells Swift we’ve seen him go under, over, and around people, but now also through people. “Is that a conscious thing when you’re out there? How quick does that decision have to be made?” Swift’s answer is interesting because he characterizes it as very instinctive and something that has to be done instantly and just happens without thinking. Given a choice? Swift tells Miller he likes making people miss, “but when the opportunity presents itself, I will do whatever needs to be done.”

You can watch the whole video clip on the Fox 2 site and see D’Andre Swift’s thoughts on the upcoming game against the Rams. Now on to the rest of today’s Notes:

• ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry (covers Los Angeles) and Eric Woodyard (covers Detroit) wrote an article on how the Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford trade is going for both teams. While Lions fans already know about this side of the trade, it is pretty interesting to see the reactions the Rams players had to hearing about the deal.

• The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner and Chris Burke also wrote up an assessment of how things are going with Jared Goff as quarterback for the Lions (subscription required).

• Dannie Rogers and former Lions guard T.J. Lang provide analysis for this week’s game on the Week 7 X-Factor video posted to the team’s YouTube account.

• Dave Birkett at the Detroit Free Press had 5 questions for Amon-Ra St. Brown, and you’re going to love his attitude towards blocking.

• Earlier this week, we pointed out a Doug Farrar article that touched on Jared Goff’s struggles to throw deep. Today, MLive’s Kyle Meinke wrote about the negative consequences of throwing short on the Lions’ third down conversions.

• Another great episode in this ongoing series from the team’s media folks: