Lions vs. Dolphins bold prediction: Amon-Ra St. Brown bounces back vs. Miami

Amon-Ra St. Brown is the Lions’ number one receiver, there’s no doubt about it. His repertoire with Jared Goff is unparalleled on the team, and since his emergence against the Vikings in 2021, St. Brown quickly took over T.J. Hockenson’s role as Goff’s safety net.

Entering 2022, things were set to pick up right where they left off in 2021. Pick up they did, with St. Brown posting 23 receptions for 253 yards across the first three games of the season. However, an ankle injury would force St. Brown to miss the Week 4 shootout against the Seahawks and limit the next week to just four receptions for 18 yards. With the bye week to recover, St. Brown came back against the Cowboys in Week 7 in full health, but it didn’t last long. Just a quarter into the game, St. Brown left the game after taking a hit to the head, finishing the day with a single catch for 4 yards.

It has been a tough stretch for St. Brown since his hot start to the season, but he’s on track to play Sunday against the Dolphins with a clean bill of health. With that being the case, expect St. Brown to get back to form quickly against Miami.

Bold prediction of the week: Amon-Ra St. Brown bounces back against Miami with 100+ yards

This is about more than just Amon-Ra St. Brown. It’s about the Lions offense as a whole, and a stellar matchup against a Miami defense that has struggled against the pass this season.

With a combined six points to show for the last two games, this Lions offense needs to find a way to get in the end zone and get back on track. That will likely start with going to their star player in St. Brown, getting him the ball early and often. It’s important not only to get him involved, but to get Jared Goff comfortable early after he has looked quite fazed in recent weeks.

On the Miami side, things look favorable for Detroit. The Dolphins are one of the more complete teams in the league, but their weak link lies in the pass defense. Through seven weeks, they rank 24th in the league in pass yards allowed per game with 255.1 yards allowed per game. For context, that’s two spots below Detroit, who has allowed 249.3 pass yards per game. They’ve been much more stout against the run, ranking eighth in the league in rush yards allowed. That’ll force Detroit to the air often, and if they find early success, expect them to stick with it.

Success for the Lions on Sunday starts and ends with getting Amon-Ra St. Brown the ball through the air. Of course, that is all contingent on him maintaining his current trajectory to play Sunday and, unlike last week, staying in the game.