Will Teams Copy Rams Defending St. Brown?

Latest Lone Wolves podcast explores Lions' struggles, high points in win over Rams.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions won in Week 1 despite not getting much production from top wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

An All-Pro last season, St. Brown was limited to just three catches for 13 yards. This was his lowest statistical output since being held to just one catch for two yards against Baltimore in the third game of the 2021 season, which was his rookie year.

Moving forward, the Lions must adapt to the way St. Brown is covered by opponents. However, when discussing the positives and negatives of the Lions' 26-20 overtime win Sunday, the team overcoming this was a net positive.

“They’ve got to get the passing game figured out if you can’t get St. Brown going, and they hit Jamo on those big plays a couple times," said Christian Booher. "But, at the same time, you need St. Brown to get going, and whether that’s adapting and changing up his route tree a little bit or just coming up with new ways to attack these different coverages that you’re gonna see. You’ve got to get it figured out, because he is the lifeblood of that offense and you’ve got to get him going. As far as the positive though, and it ties in with that, you had all that go wrong and you still won. That, to me, is a sign of just how good this team is gonna be. You had all that that you didn’t have on your offense, you’re essentially playing offense with one hand tied behind your back, obviously not being able to get St. Brown and LaPorta going. And yet, they found a way.”

For St. Brown, he relished in the ability to be able to block and create holes for running backs. This included the game-winning drive in overtime, during which he served exclusively as a blocker on the eight-play march.

“We only threw it one time. We ran it a few times with D-Mo (David Montgomery), started breaking," St. Brown said. "Once you get hot like that as a running back, you keep feeding him. O-line was blocking their tails off. D-Mo probably scores on one of those if I keep my block. I’m blocking the dude, I looked at the big screen and was like, ‘Oh shoot, he’s behind me.’ He ends up running into my back. The next play, we get it down and end up taking it all the way down.” 

The latest Lone Wolves Lions podcast reviews Detroit's season-opening victory, explores how Terrion Arnold's debut went and discusses things the Lions excelled at and aspects of their game they struggled at in their first game of 2024.

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