Why Amon-Ra St. Brown Wants NFL Rule Changed

St. Brown does not believe 14-win team should start playoffs on road.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) makes a catch for a touchdown against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Renardo Green (0) during the second half at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Lions and the Vikings are set to make NFL history when they square off with one another Sunday night. 

With 14 wins each, the Week 18 matchup will feature the most combined wins by any two teams in a regular season game in league history. The previous record of 25 total wins belongs to two matchups from the past: a season finale tilt between the Tom Brady-led Patriots and the Eli Manning-guided Giants in 2007 and a Week 16 contest from the 2005 season between Seattle and Indianapolis. 

Despite the NFL-record 28 combined wins between Dan Campbell's squad and Kevin O'Connell's, the loser of the highly-anticipated 2024 regular season finale will begin its playoff journey on the road as the NFC's No. 5 seed. Additionally, it will clash with the winner of the NFC South, either a 10-win Buccaneers team or a nine-win Falcons squad, in the wild-card round of the postseason. 

Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, like many fans and pundits, is not a fan of a 14-win team starting the playoffs away from home.

“I think the rule should be changed,” the All-Pro receiver expressed Thursday. “Obviously if you win the division, you should obviously make a playoff spot, but having a 14-win team having to go on the road is kind of crazy. I don't make the rules. Hopefully we can get a win and get home-field advantage.” 

Meanwhile, the winner of the primetime showdown will clinch the NFC's No. 1 seed, plus a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

With the present injury-ravaged nature of Detroit’s roster, the playoff-opening bye would certainly come in handy for St. Brown & Co. 

“I think it would be big,” the fourth-year receiver said of the potential first-round bye. “We have a lot of injuries obviously. But, just to be able to get some rest, I think would be nice. But, either way, I feel like we’ll be fine, whether it’s going on the road or having a bye week and playing at home. I think we’re built for either or. 

“We have the best fans in the world to help us if we were at home, and if we weren’t at home, we’ve been pretty good on the road this year. So, either way, I think we’ll be fine, but we’d love to have home-field advantage in the playoffs.”  

In the first matchup this season between the NFC North rivals (Week 7), Detroit emerged victorious, 31-29, at U.S. Bank Stadium. Kickoff for the rematch is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. Sunday at Ford Field.