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Is Detroit Lions Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown The NFL's Most Reliable Player?

Detroit Lions wide receiverAmon-Ra St. Brown once again had a record-breaking performance in the Lions' 40-34 win over the San Francisco 49ers. The numbers only tell half the story, though. The former USC Trojans receiver's greatest ability is his dependability.

Kyron Samuels

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) high-fives fans celebrates 34-17 win over Chicago Bears as he exits the field at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) high-fives fans celebrates 34-17 win over Chicago Bears as he exits the field at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Detroit Lions didn’t have much to play for in reality on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers. Former USC Trojans receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and the Lions entered the game 13-2, having clinched a playoff berth, and locked into a home game against the Minnesota Vikings for the No. 1 seed and NFC North division crown regardless of the outcome against San Francisco. Regardless, if anyone thought this Lions’ team wouldn’t go all out, they’d be sorely mistaken: pride is always enough to play for.

The Lions avenged their NFC Championship game defeat over the San Francisco 49ers with a 40-34 victory in a spirited shootout. St. Brown once again had a strong showing, hauling eight receptions for 60 yards, a receiving touchdown, and an incredible hook and ladder pitch to teammate Jameson Williams for a touchdown early in the second quarter. It’s no coincidence that St. Brown's number was called on first-down conversions and two touchdown plays. 

"He's so smart at mixing plays up, showing defenses the same look and we do so many things that if you just run a trick play off of it, more than likely it should work if you get the right look on defense and the guys on offense execute it," said St. Brown of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s penchant for confusing defenses.

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Part of what makes Johnson so great is his natural in-game instincts as a playcaller and his ability to attack weaknesses in opposing schemes. The other half of that is having the litany of weapons like St. Brown at his disposal. Football has always been and will always be about Jimmy’s and Joe’s over X’s and O’s. Coaching and play-calling matter, but the decisions become innately easier with players of this caliber at your disposal and the most reliable player in the league in St. Brown.

St. Brown seems to be etching his name further in Lion’s and NFL history as each week passes. A reality not many outside of his father and himself envisioned coming to fruition when he was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of USC. The “Sun God” has long since arrived, but now, he’s undisputedly one of the best players in the league regardless of position.

Not only is he one of the best, he’s arguably the most reliable of any player in football. St. Brown has been targeted 131 times this season. Per the ESPN Monday Night Football broadcast, he has zero drops and 107 receptions. Furthermore, the Lions receiver is top-three in receptions, yards, touchdowns, first downs, and first in catch rate and drop rate. Factor in his versatility as a gadget player in unique alignments and tricky plays, his unselfish blocking on the perimeter, and his effort, you get record-breaking results.

Now, for the records. St. Brown matched the great Calvin Johnson, also known as Megatron, for the most receiving touchdowns through four seasons in Lions’ history with 33. He also equaled Johnson for the franchise record for most games in a single season with a receiving touchdown with 11. In just four seasons, St. Brown has passed Golden Tate for the fifth most receptions in Detroit Lions history.

Per Lions PR, Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back Jahmyr Gibbs have both logged a touchdown in the same game nine times in 2024. This ties in for the most games in a season in NFL history, joining the 2020 Titans (A. Brown, D. Henry), 2015 Jets (E. Decker, B. Marshall), and 1995 Cowboys (M. Irvin, E. Smith). The only teams in NFL history to have three players with 12 touchdowns in a season: 2024 @Lions (D. Montgomery, J. Gibbs, A. St. Brown), 2014 Packers (R. Cobb, E. Lacy, J. Nelson), 2013 Broncos (K. Moreno, D. Thomas, J. Thomas), and 1961 Oilers (B. Cannon, B. Groman, C. Hennigan).

With a winner-take-all matchup against the Minnesota Vikings this coming week, there’s a strong chance of seeing the record books rewritten again in a few days. The Lions have the right man collecting the talent in general manager Brad Holmes, they have the right man calling the plays in offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, they have the right type of men in the locker room like Amon-Ra St. Brown and company, and they have the right man to lead them all in coach Dan Campbell. 

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Kyron Samuels
KYRON SAMUELS

Kyron Samuels is a former college and professional football player now a writer, analyst, & digital host. Kyron is a writer for USC Trojans on SI and contributes to Oregon Ducks on SI. A graduate and letterman at Jacksonville State University, Samuels was a three-year starter, two-time all-conference, and won three consecutive conference titles. After a four-year professional stint between the AFL & XFL, Samuels retired from football. In 2022, Samuels was inducted into the Fairhope Athletic Hall of Fame. Post-playing career, Samuels has become a credentialed sports media member covering the NFL, UFL, USFL, & college football. The NFL Combine, Reese’s Senior Bowl, & East-West Shrine Bowl are amongst the events Kyron has covered. As a guest and host, Samuels has been featured on ESPNRadio, FoxSportsRadio, & IHeartRadio. Outside of sports media, Samuels works as a scouting consultant and has experience coaching at the collegiate level.

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