D'Andre Swift rushes for career-high 175 yards in Eagles' win, sparks memories of St. Joe's Prep-La Salle games

There’s a segment of Eagles fans who should not be surprised by the way D’Andre Swift played in Thursday’s 34-28 win over the Minnesota Vikings because they’ve seen it before. For those who followed Swift as a Philadelphia high school sensation at St. Joseph’s Prep, his 28-carry, 175-yard performance against the Vikings looked familiar.  

It was the best game of his four-year NFL career, with a new high in rushing yards and the second-most carries, and it occurred in the home opener in his hometown. So when Swift was asked the last time he had a game like the one on Thursday, he bypassed two standout performances at Georgia.

“Probably high school,” he said.

Which game? 

“Every time we played La Salle,” he said with a laugh.

The segment of fans that watched Swift at St. Joe’s Prep might remember when he rushed for 275 yards and six touchdowns (with another touchdown catch) in a 2016 win over La Salle. And for the broader fan base, they witnessed for the first time what was teased during training camp. Swift, a former second-round pick who was acquired via trade in April, has the talent to be the Eagles’ most dynamic running back.

“It was pretty good, huh?” coach Nick Sirianni said. “He showed vision, explosiveness.”

Sirianni also lauded Swift’s ball security, which was noteworthy to the coach because the Eagles forced four fumbles — a key during an evening that left much that requires improvement leading into a long week before the September 25 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Swift’s performance came one week after he was an afterthought in the Eagles’ offense. Swift only had two touches on 19 offensive snaps against the New England Patriots, and Sirianni quickly said after that game that he never wants Swift’s workload to be that limited. 

This was not an overcorrection as much as it was an opportunity. Kenny Gainwell, who was the top running back last week, was absent on Thursday because of a ribs injury. That gave Swift a more prominent role. He said he was not bitter after last week’s game, and in the locker room on Tuesday, he was not aware of Sirianni’s comment. His approach was to capitalize on the opportunity when it came, and he showed vision and burst while totaling 63 yards in the first half. He carried the ball eight times on a 16-play scoring drive in the second quarter when the Eagles exerted their will on the Vikings’ defense. They moved the ball on the ground more effectively than through the air — the passing game still needs to find its rhythm — and offensive coordinator Brian Johnson turned to Swift and the offensive line. 

“Offensive line was working,” Swift said. “They made it a little easy.”

“One, he owes us a steak dinner,” offensive tackle Jordan Mailata said. “He definitely owes us a steak dinner. I’m happy for him. I mean, Philly, hometown hero…career high. Hats off to him. It’s a two-way street when we run the ball. We have to open up those holes, and it’s up to the running back to the trust that the hole is going to be there and he has to punch it.” 

Swift’s success rate of 64.3 percent was the eight-highest by any player with 25-plus carries since 2016, according to NFL Next Gen stats. The Eagles rushed for 259 yards, which was the second-most since Sirianni became head coach. 

It might be even more notable that Swift’s 28 carries were the most by a player during the Sirianni era. Swift has not often been a featured running back since high school because of the strength of his backfield or injuries. Sirianni was even asked this week whether Swift could take on that load or if he needed to be part of a committee. Sirianni insisted Swift could be a lead runner — and then followed through on Thursday.

“I didn’t even know it was that (many carries) at time,” Swift said. “That’s what I can do. I didn’t even scratch the surface of what I can do yet.”

He didn’t fatigue; his production only seemed to improve. Swift broke free for a 43-yard run in the fourth quarter, and he lamented that it did not finish in the end zone. Two plays later, he finally scored a touchdown for the Eagles from the two-yard line. Swift said that he knew the touchdown run was his last chance, because if he didn’t rush it in, the Eagles would have turned to Hurts for a sneak.

This type of game was expected of Swift when the Lions drafted him in 2020 — and it was what the Eagles saw in Week 1 last season, when Swift set his previous top yardage mark against his hometown team. 

The flashes were apparent in four previous 100-yard rushing games, but the consistency has not been present. That was why the Eagles landed Swift for a modest price to help replace Miles Sanders. The operative word is help, because the team has touted a committee approach. The coaching staff still trusts Gainwell. Boston Scott could receive spot carries. And there will be games where Hurts’ arm carries the Eagles more than the running game — if for no other reason that A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert are on this team, too. (Brown and Hurts were caught by cameras in a spirited discussion on the sideline. “I think everybody wants to make plays and everybody wants to contribute,” Hurts explained, diffusing the situation.)

But there were questions this offseason about how the backfield would look post-Sanders, and Swift exhibited an upside that should excite Eagles fans.  

The crowd included about 30 friends and family members. And the performance shouldn’t necessarily surprise a segment of the fan base that saw him do it before.

“Everything tonight was amazing,” Swift said. “It’s a blessing to be back and have the support and love of the people I grew up around, went to high school with. Full-circle moment.”