In his third season with the Detroit Lions, Amon-Ra St. Brown has made a name for himself in the NFL. His stellar performances have caught the attention of both fans and opponents alike.
As a result of his impressive play, St. Brown has become a prime target for opposing defenses. In the Lions' Week 1 match against the Kansas City Chiefs, he faced numerous double teams, particularly on crucial third downs.
"There was a few doubles, yeah. Obviously on third down, but we kind of assumed that going into the game," the wideout stated. "So Ben (Johnson) does a good job of drawing up plays where you can assume, maybe third down, third-and-short that they're gonna double me and they did in that game and we kind of anticipated that going in. I would say a little different than the last two years but third down, Jared likes to throw to me on third down. You can tell if you watch the film. We did a good job."
Looking ahead, St. Brown faces an intriguing challenge in Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks may assign rookie defensive back Devon Witherspoon to cover him. Witherspoon, however, has no previous NFL experience as he missed the season opener.
When asked about the potential matchup, St. Brown emphasized his focus on personal preparation and putting pressure on his opponents to adapt to his style of play.
"Not really. For me, I feel like, our coaches do a good job showing us the tape, different tendencies on the defense and coverages they like to run," St. Brown added. "But for me, at the end of the day, they have to defend me. If I go right, they have to go right. So it's more so for me, making sure I do what I've gotta do because at the end of the day, the defender is gonna change, every play maybe. So you never know what you're gonna get out there."
Witherspoon is a player the Lions extensively scouted during the offseason. He is known for his physicality and coverage skills. If he does make his debut on Sunday and matches up against St. Brown, it will undoubtedly be a significant test for the emerging star.
"Yeah, it's challenging because there's just not much to go off," offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. "I think, as a whole, you can see how the group is coached and the various techniques that they display based on the coverages and you kind of project that onto him as well. But yeah, there's a lot of unknown where (Witherspoon) will be, where he'll line up and where he'll play."
The Lions have struggled against the Seattle Seahawks in recent years, with Pete Carroll's team emerging victorious in their last two encounters with Dan Campbell's Lions.
Now, the Lions are determined to use the energy from their home opener and overcome their previous defeats.
"They have beat us the last two times we've played them and I think we know that. We understand that, they're a good team," St. Brown explained. "No matter what happened last week. Pete Carroll always has their guys ready to go, especially coming off a loss. We know that feeling, you want to go out there and prove everyone wrong and show them that you're not what you put on tape that last week. So we know they're gonna come out ready. They're a good bunch, they've got playmakers especially on offense and defense. It's gonna be a good game, I can't wait."
