Getty Danny Amendola makes a tough catch against the Vikings.
Danny Amendola is a man of many talents with the Detroit Lions, and his newest one might just get the attention of new special teams coach Brayden Coombs.
Recently, while working ahead of Lions camp, Amendola hauled in a 60 yard punt from behind his back, making the insane play look pretty easy.
Here’s a look:
Amendola has returned punts before, but the Lions have a solid special teams returner in Jamal Agnew and their group is already poised to be one of the better ones in the league for this coming season. Still, it’s great to know they’ve got a helpful pair of hands in Amendola should they need them in 2020.
That’s true even though the play isn’t one that anybody should try at home or in an NFL game.
Danny Amendola Has Best NFL Hands
Amendola is actually one of the most vital members of the team given his excellent hands in the slot, and his numbers are no slouch as he keeps his career going. In actuality, the Lions have one of the top wideouts in the game in terms of catch percentage in the last 5 years.
Amendola has caught 71.4% of his passes, which is the 4th best total in the league over that span. The leader Michael Thomas has caught an absurd 78% of his passes in this span of time.
This offseason, the Lions brought back Amendola and it was likely for this reason. He is a stable, veteran pass catcher for the team and a guy the Lions can count on in a big way to make all the needed plays. These numbers only help prove why he was a top priority for the team.
Danny Amendola Outlines Bold Goals for Lions
Never shy about providing his opinion, Amendola was asked about what he wants for the Lions on a recent conference call, and wasn’t shy about saying that he has big plans he talks about routinely for the team. Most notably, Amendola wants to host a home playoff game at Ford Field and get the city going.
Amendola: “What Kenny (Golladay) & I talk about now is we want to win. We want to get to the playoffs. We want to have a home playoff game at Ford Field. I tell him as much as I can there’s nothing like that feeling of winning for your city & that’s what we want to see the most.”
Statements like that will only endear Amendola to fans and his adopted home city even more. Amendola has experienced this in New England, and it’s this kind of leadership which makes his a player to watch. The Lions haven’t been to the playoffs since 2017 and haven’t won a game there since the 1990s, so Amendola wants to make history.
Sometimes, talking about it is the best step to making it happen. It’s clear Amendola has the experience and mindset in order to take charge and help the team over the top.
That should resonate with a fan base that is hungry to win.
Danny Amendola’s 2019 Stats
Amendola made his biggest mark in the league when he was on the Patriots, but he had an impressive bounce back season in 2019. He put up 678 yards and 1 touchdown for the Lions last year. That was one year after his 575 yard performance with the Miami Dolphins. As a whole, he’s put up 5,362 yards and 21 touchdowns in the NFL, which are very solid numbers.
This past season, Amendola didn’t look to be slowing down at 34 years old with the Lions. It’s likely that he has plenty left, and the Lions likely love his leadership as much as his ability to make key catches in traffic for the team.
Watching Amendola make plays like this, even in practice, will simply never get old.
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