Amon-Ra St. Brown is determined to move past the ankle sprain that has bothered him as he gears up for a meaningful return to California for the Detroit Lions’ matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

Despite entering last week’s game unsure of his availability, St. Brown delivered when it mattered. He hauled in six receptions for 92 yards and played a major role in setting up two touchdowns. The ankle was still tender afterward, but he emphasized it continues trending in the right direction.

Earlier in the week, wide receivers coach and assistant head coach Scottie Montgomery admitted he was “critically concerned” about St. Brown’s ability to play as late as the day before the game. Coaches prepared contingency plans both with and without him, even reviewing the practice script with St. Brown over FaceTime while he was out to dinner.

For St. Brown, the toughest part was the mental challenge. Detroit mixed in unusual personnel groupings due to both his uncertain health and the absence of the team’s top two tight ends. That meant he encountered looks he hadn’t physically rehearsed.

He added that his conditioning lagged because the timing of the injury — paired with consecutive Thursday games — left him essentially two full weeks without practicing.

“I couldn’t do much early. I couldn’t run at all,” St. Brown told MLive on Thursday. “Going into the game, I was definitely more winded than I normally am. We didn’t really practice the week of Thanksgiving, then I got hurt, didn’t play, and barely practiced the next week. It was basically two weeks off, so I was tired at times during the game.

“Being in different spots on certain plays without physically repping them was tough. Normally I get those reps during the week, so trying to go from iPad film to game speed was probably the hardest part.”

He opened the game with a seven-yard reception on the first snap, a moment he said helped settle him quickly after such limited practice time.

Now back on the field during the week, St. Brown has shifted his focus to the NFC-leading Rams. The California native and former USC star expects a large turnout of family and friends for Sunday’s contest, but he knows the actual matchup will be anything but sentimental.

The Rams’ defense is no soft spot. They’ve recorded 36 sacks—sixth-most in the league—and sit in the top ten in both run and pass defense. They’ve allowed the fewest rushing touchdowns in the NFL and have forced 13 interceptions, thriving on takeaways.

“It’s a long trip back to LA and a big challenge for us,” St. Brown said. “They’re a really good team, so it should be a great game. I’m excited to go home and see family, but it’s definitely a tough matchup.”

St. Brown also reflected on his college days at USC, when he and quarterback Jared Goff were playing in the same stadium from afar—Goff with the Rams and St. Brown with the Trojans. Now, they return to California as teammates.

“Kind of funny how we both played in the Coliseum before we were teammates and now we’re going back together,” he said. “I knew who Jared was back then, so it’s cool to see how everything has come full circle.”