SI

Amon-Ra St. Brown Pitches NFL Rule Change to Alter Playoff Seeding Ahead of Vikings-Lions

Listen up, Roger Goodell.

Tom Dierberger

St. Brown enters Week 18 with 109 receptions for 1,186 yards and a career-high 12 touchdowns this season.
St. Brown enters Week 18 with 109 receptions for 1,186 yards and a career-high 12 touchdowns this season. / Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
In this story:

Amon-Ra St. Brown and the Detroit Lions are preparing for the biggest game of the 2024 NFL season thus far.

Detroit (14–2) is hosting the division rival Minnesota Vikings (14–2) at Ford Field on Sunday Night Football in a clash that means everything for the postseason. If the Lions beat (or tie) the Vikings, they will secure the NFC North crown and earn the NFC's No. 1 playoff seed, claiming a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. If the Lions lose, they will be the No. 5 seed and will hit the road to visit the No. 4 seed during the wild-card round.

No matter who loses, the Vikings or Lions will be the first 14-win wild-card team in NFL history. And St. Brown, Detroit's top wide receiver, believes that is ridiculous.

"That's one of the craziest rules ever," St. Brown said to his brother Equanimeous St. Brown on their podcast. "The NFL needs to change it."

St. Brown pitched that the NFL should change its postseason seeding to award teams for winning games regardless of their division. He said all division winners should make the playoffs, but the seeding should be determined by win totals. In that scenario, the loser of Sunday's game between the Vikings and Lions would land either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed, depending on tiebreakers with the Philadelphia Eagles (13–3).

"You're not going to be a No. 4 seed with a 9–8 record," St. Brown said. "That's what needs to happen, bro."

St. Brown and the Lions got the best of Minnesota earlier this year, winning 31–29 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 7. They'll look to do the same on Sunday night in front of a roaring crowd at Ford Field.

More of the Latest Around the NFL

feed

Published
Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

Home/NFL