Dyami Brown bided his time. He heard the criticism from Amon-Ra St. Brown when the Washington Commanders last met the Detroit Lions in 2022. When the time for revenge came, he seized it with both hands.

The wide receiver’s emergence as an important piece of Kliff Kingsbury’s offensive puzzle in recent weeks was surprising and welcome in equal measure. Now many held out hope for Brown after an underwhelming stint with the Commanders. But the light has finally come on.

Brown’s being trusted more. Kingsbury and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels depended on him heavily down the stretch and into the postseason. He’s answered the call in no uncertain terms.

St. Brown stated that he had a hard time spotting Brown — a receiver taken before him in the 2021 NFL Draft — when the Lions beat the Commanders during the 2022 campaign. The two-time All-Pro had no trouble picking him out in the Divisional Round last weekend at Ford Field.

There was an added urgency with Brown that helped the Commanders enormously. His catch under pressure — almost blinded with one hand over his sight — was astonishing. The former third-round pick out of North Carolina brought in six receptions from eight targets for 98 receiving yards, leading the team for a second-straight week.

More importantly, the Commanders crushed Detroit in front of their expectant fanbase to move within one game of the Super Bowl.

Dyami Brown throws shade at Amon-Ra St. Brown after Commanders’ playoff win

Brown savored the moment in the game’s immediate aftermath. When there was a little extra time to reflect, the wideout clapped back at St. Brown with a veiled social media post, using some of the words in his critique earlier in their respective careers.

This must have been a pretty satisfying feeling for Brown. Things haven’t been easy for the player. The physical tools weren’t in question, but something prevented everything from coming together. Now, his future looks incredibly bright.

Kingsbury highlighted Brown’s improved professionalism as a leading factor behind his resurgence. The play-caller credited the fourth-year pro for displaying the right work ethic and emerging as a sound route technician. Becoming more reliable in key moments has served him well and the Commanders are finally getting a return on their draft investment.

St. Brown is a stud, there’s no getting away from that. He’s always eager to throw shade at the 16 receivers taken before him in 2021. But in this instance, it provided Brown with some extra motivation to silence doubters and help condemn Detroit to another playoff exit.

This closes the chapter on St. Brown’s ill-advised criticism of someone still looking to carve out a role for himself at the time. He’s bitter about falling into the fourth round despite achieving a significant amount, which is fine. But make no mistake, Brown had the last laugh.

And if Brown can do his part to help the Commanders beat the Philadelphia Eagles en route to the Super Bowl, he’ll cement his status beyond the campaign.

Not even St. Brown would be able to dismiss that.