The Lions head into Sunday with a clear edge on paper, and Amon-Ra St. Brown knows it starts with the situation Carolina is facing on the back end. The Panthers will be without both Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson after injuries in Week 3 sent them to injured reserve, leaving Detroit’s passing game to work against a reshuffled secondary with little time to get comfortable.
That kind of change can force a defense to show something different, and St. Brown said the Lions are preparing for that possibility while also expecting the usual adjustments that come with any week in the NFL.
"Obviously, you don't know how they feel about their backup corners,” St. Brown told reporters Thursday.
“If they feel good, they'll probably continue to do the same, similar stuff. If not, maybe they'll mix some things up.
“But, I feel like we've been getting a lot of different looks from what we've seen on tape with a lot of the opponents that we've played this year. So, we're expecting one thing, but also you can expect the unexpected, too.
So, we've got to be able to make adjustments in the game and things like that. But, I think the thing that goes with any game really, you got to make adjustments throughout the game.”
Detroit is coming off a quieter afternoon from St. Brown than it’s used to seeing. Against the Jets last week, he finished with four catches for 19 yards and a touchdown, easily his lowest statistical line of the 2026 season.
When St. Brown’s numbers dipped, Jahmyr Gibbs picked up the slack in a big way. The Lions’ versatile back delivered one of the best outings of the week, piling up 99 rushing yards and two scores on the ground while adding 65 receiving yards and another touchdown as a pass-catcher.
The Lions have leaned into Gibbs as a weapon in the passing game this season, and St. Brown says that growth has come from real work behind the scenes. Gibbs may already be naturally gifted, but he’s also been putting in the time to sharpen the parts of route running and receiving that don’t come as easily.
“Jahmyr is naturally gifted in certain areas. So, a lot of stuff that you'd have to tell certain guys, you don't have to tell him,” St.
Brown said of the talented runner. “But, there's still an element of receiver he's never really played.
It's like if you put me at running back, there's things I don't know. And he understands what he knows and doesn't know, and he'll ask me all those questions and he's a quick learner.
You love to have that as a coach and being his teammate, it's easy to tell him to do this and he does it the next time. So, he's just a freak, man.”
Even with Carolina short-handed in the secondary, St. Brown said the Lions aren’t treating their offense like it has already hit its ceiling. Detroit has averaged 31 points per game through the first three weeks under Drew Petzing, but the receiver believes there’s still more room to grow.
“I feel like we can still be a lot better as an offense,” the sixth-year receiver said. “We have so much more to improve on, which is awesome because we have put up a good amount of points the first three weeks. But, I feel like we can, we still have so much to get better at.
“Drew's done a great job obviously. We're all still learning things.
We're all trying to get better each and every week, especially at this point in the season, you've got some games under your belt. You've got some tape to watch from other teams.
So, it's going to be exciting these next few weeks.”
In Other News...
Dan Campbell Hinted At Big Lions Roster Decisions Before Carolina
With a short week leading into Carolina, Dan Campbell spent part of his pregame update signaling that the Lions still have some roster chess to play. Detroit is in trade talks for Joey Porter Jr., while safety Brian Branch is nearing a return to practice, and Campbell also made clear that he remains confident in linebacker Jack Campbell even after a slow start to the season. The message was less about the headlines than the direction: the Lions are still sorting out how their defense wants to look as the schedule tightens.
The immediate assignment, though, is straightforward enough. Detroit is focused on keeping Bryce Young from settling in, and Campbell said the biggest defensive concern beyond that is handling tight ends in the middle of the field. He also raised the possibility of rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder getting defensive snaps, a reminder that the Lions may not be done adjusting the group as they balance short-term needs with longer-term decisions. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Branch Return Timeline Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Brian Branchs path back to the field is starting to come into focus, and that matters for a Lions defense that has had to wait out one of its most important young pieces. The safety is close to returning from the Achilles injury he suffered last season, according to Dan Campbell, after beginning the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list. If the timeline holds, Branch is expected to be eligible to return to practice next week, a first step toward getting him back in the mix.
What happens after that will be the part Detroit is watching most closely. The Lions would then have the 21-day window to work through before deciding on activation, and Kelvin Sheppards recent comments about the defense and its preparation only add to the sense that the unit is bracing for a potentially meaningful addition. For a team trying to keep its defensive rhythm intact, Branchs return would be one of the more notable developments on the horizon. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Could Have Tough Trade Calls If Young Talent Keeps Rising
The Lions are heading toward the trade deadline in an unusual spot for a team still trying to build something lasting: they are expected to be buyers, but they also have to keep sorting through which veterans and depth pieces fit the roster long term. As Detroit evaluates its options, cornerback Amani Oruwariye, defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike and offensive lineman Logan Stenberg have surfaced as names to watch, especially if the front office decides a roster spot or draft asset can be better used elsewhere.
What makes the calculus trickier is that the answer may not be about those players alone. The Lions also have to factor in how younger talent is coming along and whether injuries create new pressure points before the deadline arrives. If those developments keep breaking the right way, Detroit could find itself making some difficult calls on useful pieces rather than simply adding help. [Read more 🡒]