Getty Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown delivered a message on his team's passing attack on December 7.
Holding wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to under 50 receiving yards has been a recipe in the past to stopping the Detroit Lions offense.
But that’s hardly the case anymore.
St. Brown had 49 receiving yards in Week 13 versus the New Orleans Saints. Yet, the Lions still scored four touchdowns to win 33-28.
There’s little doubt that St. Brown remains the top receiving threat in the Lions offense. But he’s no longer the only elite option for quarterback Jared Goff.
St. Brown discussed with reporters on December 7 how the emerging playmakers on the roster have made the Lions offense even more dangerous this season.
“I think it’s awesome when you have a bunch of guys in an offense that can make plays that are dynamic,” St. Brown told the media. “It really just makes it hard on the defense to cover everyone, gives guys more one-on-one opportunities.
“You can’t double everyone. If you try to double someone, it’s going to open up other guys.”
That someone else in Week 13 was tight end Sam LaPorta. The rookie tight end caught all 9 of his targets for 140 yards and a touchdown.
Lions Dynamic Passing Offense
St. Brown made his first Pro Bowl last season, but he’s experiencing an even better 2023.
Despite only having 49 yards, St. Brown eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in Week 13 for the second consecutive season. He needs just 122 more yards to set a new career high.
With still five games remaining, St. Brown should blow past that previous career high in receiving yards. He’s also on pace for 122 receptions, which would be 16 more than his career-best 106 catches last year.
Furthermore, St. Brown has already tied his career-high 6 receiving touchdown from 2022.
At 24 years old, St. Brown is beginning to enter his prime. But he could also be benefitting this year from the extra weapons in the Detroit passing game.
LaPorta is ranked among the top five tight ends in all receiving categories. Jameson Williams, who also scored in Week 13, is coming into his own during his second season.
The Lions also possess one of the best running back tandems in the NFL. David Montgomery is averaging a career-best 78.2 rushing yards per game, and rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs is third on the Lions in receptions and targets.
“It’s nice just to have a bunch of playmakers like you said – Jamo (Jameson Williams), me, however it is, LaPorta, Jahmyr (Gibbs), David (Montgomery), Kalif (Raymond), Josh (Reynolds), whoever it is — that can win one-on-one,” St. Brown said. “I mean, it’s awesome to have.
“It’s like you pick your poison as a defense. We’re going to try to just go the other way.”
Lions Aiming for Offensive Team History
With all of their receiving weapons, Detroit is putting together a season to remember from a statistical standpoint.
The Lions are ranked fourth in passing yards this season. They are second in total offense and sixth in points as well.
Should Detroit finish the season in the same positions, the team would end 2023 with one of the best statistical offenses in the franchise’s history.
The Lions haven’t finished as high as fourth in the NFL in passing yards since 2013. But it’s been since the 1997 season since the last time the Lions were second in total yards.
If the Lions finish in the top five in both yards and points during 2023, it will be the second season in a row the team has accomplished that feat. Detroit hasn’t been top five in both of those categories during back-to-back seasons since 1953-54.
The way Goff has been throwing the ball, and the diversity the Lions can feature in their passing attack, it’s hard to foresee the Lions not continuing on their current pace and breaking some of these longtime marks.