The Detroit Lions complete their season dress rehearsal on Sunday at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Amon-Ra St. Brown will also be on the field then. Not a few believe in a final breakthrough season for the receiver.

Munich – The machine doesn’t take a break. Zack. Zack. Zack. 202 times in total. Relentless.

Only after 202 throws is Amon-Ra St. Brown finished. 202 passes he catches with the Football Passing Machine, after every practice, for years. A tradition he has used since his high school days to shape his catching skills.

With success: in 2021, he only made two drops in 90 receptions in his rookie season. St. Brown’s other numbers were also impressive: he totalled 912 yards and six touchdowns, especially in the second half of the season, when he really turned up the heat and put huge exclamation marks on the game.

Successes are a thing of the past

But that is the past. He himself has long since stopped dwelling on it.

What counts now is his second year, the next step. Because this is the period that is special, that shapes the further career: from year one to two, players often make the biggest leap in their careers.

That would mean: St. Brown delivers throughout the season and matures into the league’s top receiver. At least in theory, because there are a lot of unknown variables in the NFL.

Is St. Brown on the verge of his final breakthrough?

For offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, he’s “special. He really is. He has that controlled aggression for a receiver that’s rare,” the OC said. “It shows in the run game. It shows in his routing and his breaks and it carries over to the rest of the group.”

Coach Dan Campbell is concerned about reeling in his guys a bit, including St. Brown, who let slip on the HBO documentary Hard Knocks how driven he is by success. In the second episode, he lists by name all 16 receivers drafted before him. Including college.

The chip on his shoulder

It’s that “chip on my shoulder”, as the US Americans say, the feeling of having something to prove. A drive that often lingers. As it does for St. Brown, too. “That’s still where my motivation comes from, and I keep pushing,” he said.

Campbell knows what he has in his receiver. “He’s going to be steady and consistent, and whenever you need him, you know you’ve got him and he’s going to make the plays for you,” said the coach, who also relies on the work of fellow receivers Josh Reynolds, D.J. Chark or Kalif Raymond. “

“Even if he doesn’t put in that kind of performance again, I hope it’s because we have people around him to help him,” said Campbell, who is shaping a team in preparation to deliver better results in its second year of rebuilding than it did in 2021.St. Brown is also expected to make sure of that, and more than a few pundits expect a marked improvement, which shouldn’t be too difficult with three wins last year.

Chemistry with Jared Goff is right

What stands out is the chemistry with quarterback Jared Goff, which is essential for St. Brown. Hardly a week went by in preparation without some praise from Goff for his favorite kickoff guard. “I look for him on the field when a play breaks down. And I look for him when we need an important move right now,” Goff said.

Mostly in terms of football intelligence, St. Brown has taken a step forward, Goff revealed, the 22-year-old’s mental side has improved. “It’s always the biggest jump from freshman to sophomore year. When you’ve seen it a couple of times, you hope you don’t make a mistake a second time, and he really hasn’t. He’s come in quickly,” Goff said. “We give him some latitude in his routes and he’s handled that very well, understanding the coverage and asking the right questions. We expect him to be an important part of our offense.”

Starters get to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers

The offense will have its dress rehearsal Sunday at the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the starters will get to play after being spared last time out against the Colts. That includes St. Brown.

Until then, he continues to work on his catching skills. After every practice. Relentlessly. With the chip on his shoulder.

Zack. Zack. Zack. 202 times.