GettyOne high-profile Detroit Lions player is predicted to “rebound” after having a “poor opening performance.”
The Detroit Lions pulled off a hometown win against the Los Angeles Rams at Ford Field on Sunday, September 8, with a 26-20 overtime victory. But, it was close, and of course, there’s room for improvement. In a Bleacher Report article published Friday, September 13, NFL writer and expert Kristopher Knox says that Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had a “quiet night,” but Knox predicts St. Brown will rebound this weekend.
Amon-Ra St. Brown Could ‘Once Again Have a Headlining Performance’
In Knox’s article, named “8 NFL Players Likely to Rebound from Poor Opening Performances in Week 2,” he notes that St. Brown closed out the game with three catches for just 13 yards on six targets. He also asked the question, “Is St. Brown at risk of losing his role as Jared Goff‘s go-to target?”
“The short answer is no,” Knox continued. “While Williams led the Lions in targets last Sunday, St. Brown had just three fewer, tied with running back Jahmyr Gibbs for second-most on the team. St. Brown also commanded a ton of defensive attention, and with Detroit’s offense not yet in midseason form, that led to an underwhelming evening.”
Knox warned that this weekend’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers “might not be a whole lot easier” and that the “Buccaneers have the makings of a potentially elite passing offense, led by Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.” But, Knox also noted that what the Buccaneers are missing is “an elite group of cornerbacks” and added that Tampa “traded standout cornerback Carlton Davis in the offseason. It’s secondary limited Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels in Week 1 but still allowed him to complete 70.8 percent of his pass attempts.”
He concluded that, “It’ll be another home game for the Lions, and the rapport between St. Brown should be just a bit stronger than it was in the opener. In a game that should feature quite a bit of offensive back and forth, St. Brown should once again have a headlining performance.”
Amon-Ra St. Brown: ‘A Win is a Win’
Speaking with reporters during a press conference on September 12, St. Brown discussed his showing against the Rams.
“A win is a win,” St. Brown said. “The win in the most important thing for us to get where we need to go. Obviously you’d love to have catches and whatnot, but we found a way to win as a whole. As an offense, a bunch of areas to improve everywhere. We know that first week, that’s probably the toughest week for an offense just to get everything down. It was a tough game. But, a win is a win.”
St. Brown added that he’s “excited” to be going up against the Buccaneers on Sunday.
“I think we play them three times in less than a calendar year, so it’s kind of crazy,” he said. “We know them (and) they know us, but it’s going to be a good battle. They got a good defense. They always do. They do a bunch of different stuff on defense too, so we’ve got to be ready…..We’re going to have a plan for them. (We’re) not ready yet. We got a few more days, but we’ll be ready.”