'It's Super Humbling': Amon-Ra St. Brown Is among Best WR in NFL
In Amon-Ra St. Brown’s rookie season, the Detroit Lions won just three games.
St. Brown enjoyed plenty of individual success last year in his first pro campaign, including a late-season tear that saw him break the Lions’ rookie receiving yardage record. Yet, he was hungry to help the Lions earn more victories entering this season.
Detroit started its 2022 slate 1-6, but has since flipped a switch. St. Brown has been a key player in the resurgence, as he’s totaled three games of 100-plus yards within the last four and hasn’t had less than 50 yards since Oct. 23, which was a game that he left in the first quarter with injury.
The USC product spoke Wednesday about the team’s turnaround, coming off a sound 40-14 domination of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“All I can compare it to is last year, but I feel like we’re a completely different team,” St. Brown said. “Like, that three-game win streak that we went on, and then, we lost to the Bills in a close one. But, early on, we feel like that loss, we did a lot of good things in that game. We just want to keep building on what we did the three weeks prior, then what we did good against the Bills and then bring that over to Jacksonville and we did that. I feel like momentum is a thing in this league, and I think we have some of it. And, that confidence is huge in this league. When you win, you just build more confidence.”
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The Lions are preparing for a pivotal Week 14 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. The recent stretch of wins has rejuvenated the Lions’ playoff hopes. So, Sunday is serving to be a must-win game.
The first time that the division rivals met this season, Detroit held a late lead before squandering it in the final minute. As the team prepares for the rematch, St. Brown feels confident about how his team has finished games recently, compared to the mistakes made early in the year.
“I think finishing games is probably one of the toughest things to do in this league,” St. Brown explained. “Because every game is so close, if you watch games around the league. But, yeah, finishing games is something definitely that, you know, I think we're getting better at. And, if we keep winning games, you're just gonna continue to get better at it. So, for us, you know, obviously, if you win in the fashion that we did last week, you know, you don’t have to finish games, because you’re up so much. But, not every game is like that. And, you know, the Vikings are a good team, so it's gonna be a good one.”
On an individual basis, St. Brown is enjoying an excellent second season. Despite missing one full game and parts of another with injuries, he still paces the Lions with 830 receiving yards.
His performance has put him in the conversation among the top wide receivers in the entire league. His Week 14 opponent, the Vikings, sport a top wideout of their own in Justin Jefferson.
“It’s super humbling to be in that conversation,” St. Brown said. “But, for me, I’ve just gotta keep working, keep doing my thing and being consistent. I love watching other guys play, Justin’s one of the best in this league. So, I love just being on the sideline, watching him play. It’s super fun. But, yeah, it’s humbling.”
Jameson Williams’ return ‘Exciting’
Though he didn’t make a catch or gain any yards, a dominating storyline this past Sunday was the debut of rookie wide receiver Jameson Williams. The Alabama product took the field for the first time as a Lion last Sunday, after a lengthy rehab process for his torn ACL.
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell has been patient with Williams, putting him in games on run plays and dialing up just one pass in his direction against the Jaguars. However, that could soon change.
Williams logged six snaps in his debut, and received just one target.
The rookie has drawn rave reviews since returning to practice, with St. Brown serving as the latest to offer him praise.
“It’s super exciting,” St. Brown said. “I remember when we drafted him, I was super excited watching his college highlights. I watched a few Alabama games last year, and I’m happy for him, too. I know he’s excited to be back, I can’t imagine having an injury like that and being out for so long from a game that you love. I know how much he loves football, so I’m excited for him to finally be able to go out there and just run, be back, do what he loves. Whether it’s him getting 10 snaps or 50 snaps, he’s out there, he’s playing and you can’t ask for much more.”
