D’Andre Swift drops easy touchdown pass that would have won the game for Lions (video)
D’Andre Swift will never forget his NFL debut. He dropped an easy touchdown pass with six seconds remaining to doom the Lions to defeat.
The Lions had a golden opportunity to beat the Bears in Week 1. Unfortunately, D’Andre Swift couldn’t haul in Matthew Stafford’s terrific potential touchdown catch in the game’s closing moments.
Swift may enjoy a long and distinguished NFL career, but he’s never going to forget his debut as a professional. Stafford gave him a chance to be an absolute hero with a smooth pass into the corner of the end zone. Inexplicably, Swift dropped the ball as he turned his body back towards the quarterback.
The drop left the Lions with one last opportunity to win the game against Chicago but Stafford’s last effort was batted away easily. Swift’s inability to make the big play stung Detroit as they fell to 0-1 on the young season.
#Lions rookie D'Andre Swift dropped the touchdown that could've won the game.pic.twitter.com/Y8K8rUSucZ
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 13, 2020
The loss is particularly damaging to Matt Patricia’s hopes of extending his stay with the franchise. He needs to lead the Lions to the playoffs if he wants to earn a contract extension. Losing an early season game against a division foe gets Detroit off to a poor start.
Swift did have a touchdown earlier in the game, but his overall numbers on the day were still a disappointment. He only earned three carries for a total of eight yards. His three catches for a total of 15 yards were more impactful, but the memory of his one drop will drastically outweigh any contributions he made to his team’s passing game in the loss.
It will be a huge challenge for Swift to forget about his Week 1 failings to help his team win future games. The Lions need him to be a positive factor in their offensive backfield if they’re going to reach the postseason. They cannot afford for Swift to go into a tailspin as a result of his Week 1 failure.
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In the end, Swift will be forced to answer a lot of questions about his drop this week. He, more than any other Lions player, will be anxious to get back on the field next Sunday.