All young players in the NFL strive for consistency. Detroit Lions second-year wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is no different.
There's always a point in time for young players when the light comes on and the game slows down, and we begin to see consistency build from week to week.
We certainly saw that from St. Brown the second half of last year after the Lions were beaten handily (44-6) by this year's Week 1 opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles, during a Week 8 matchup. That loss spurred some changes in Detroit, one of those making St. Brown more of a focal point in the offense.
St. Brown finished the season with six straight games with at least eight catches, and was named the Offensive Rookie of the Month in December. His 90 receptions and 912 receiving yards were both franchise rookie records.
It was a terrific first season in the NFL for St. Brown. But what can Lions fans expect for an encore in 2022?
"For me, it's doing everything right and making plays and doing it over again," St. Brown said of what being a consistent football player means to him. "Whether that's blocking in the run game, catching the ball, scoring touchdowns. Whatever you are doing, being consistent at it and doing it week in and week out."
St. Brown has had a really strong training camp, and the expectation is for him to be a big part of Detroit's passing attack this season starting Week 1. He's become a security blanket of sorts for veteran quarterback Jared Goff, just because Goff knows St. Brown will always be prepared, is extremely reliable, and consistently gets open. All the things quarterbacks love in a slot receiver.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell joked Monday, when asked about St. Brown, that St. Brown is always so prepared that when he does make a mistake in practice all the coaches are like, 'Wait, Saint did that?' Because it has become so rare for him, even at a young age.
"That's a credit to him because he prides himself on being right and doing things right and his football knowledge, his finish, everything," Campbell said.
"When you've got a player in Year 2 that came out of a pretty productive year, you just want to verify that's for real and everything will be trending that way like, 'Okay, this kid's all business.' And he picked up right where he left off."
That's exactly what Lions fans should love to hear about St. Brown. He made the most of his opportunities the second half of last season and ran with them. He's confident in his abilities heading into the start of his second season, and his future looks to be really bright.
