Detroit Lions’ Jameson Williams has earned coaches ‘ultimate trust’

On November 18, 2024By Littum

Jameson Williams’ continued growth was on display in the fourth quarter of the Detroit Lions’ fourth quarter comeback over the Houston Texans.

In Sunday night’s third quarter, after that Lions had cut Houston’s lead to 23-13, Detroit’s defense recovered the ball on an end-zone interception by Carlton Davis III. Two plays later, the Lions sent a play-action punt. Quarterback Jared Goff locked onto Williams downfield and heaved it deep, but the pass went too long and ended up in the hands of Texans’ safety Calen Bullock.

On Thursday, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Williams said the interception was Williams breaking the route in the wrong direction, and the miscommunication was the main reason for Detroit’s fifth and final interception.

“I think that was the last interception we threw up, he came up to me, he said, ‘Hey, was my angle right?’ and I was like, ‘No, that wasn’t right,” offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “That’s not what we talked about.”

Williams broke the deep route in the wrong direction and tailed toward the sideline as Goff’s ball floated down the field on a straight deep shot.

“On one of the interceptions, I got out of my route (and) I had a wrong angle,” Williams said. “I came out to the apartment when I had to go to the place, have a higher angle. I just went out and answered.”

After the interception, Williams learned he would not be phased out on offense despite the flub. Instead, Johnson gave him a vote of confidence and told him to be ready for the ball to come back.

“(I told him) ‘But the ball is coming to you in the fourth quarter here and we need you to make a play,’ and he responded to that call just like that,” Johnson said. “I think it happens in practice, it happens in the meeting rooms, and it certainly happened on game day last week.”

The next goal produced one of the most impressive catches of Williams’ young career. With the Lions still trailing by 10 points early in the fourth quarter, Goff went back to Williams to convert a second-and-6 from midfield on a 17-yard completion over the middle, setting up an eventual touchdown for Amon-Ra St. Brown. Williams absorbed two front and back blows while having his leg bent awkwardly under him, but still held on in the first attempt.

“When your number is called, you have to make a play regardless of the circumstances if you’re getting hit up front and behind,” Williams said. “You just have to make a play. And that was big for us. We made our comeback and tried to win the game, so every play has to be made. . . . I just felt like I had to make a play. and I brought it in.”

The choice to return to Williams on one of the biggest plays of the comeback was a vote of confidence in Detroit’s No. 2 receiver, who missed the last two games due to a suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. He said he’s been building that trust with Goff and the offensive coaches since the offseason, and he was happy to see it materialize in a big moment.

“It’s a lot of confidence,” Williams said. “The ultimate confidence that my coaches have the confidence that I can make a play and my quarterback as well. So that’s huge for me. I feel like I’ve earned a lot of things working my way up. The whole started back in the offseason, we’ve been working on these things.”

Williams finished with three catches for 53 yards on five targets in his first game back. Williams said his return felt different this time than his previous returns (from an injury his rookie year and a gambling suspension last season).

Instead of having to try to earn that trust back, he was ready to be put back in a prominent position on offense.

“(The coaches) trusted me to just get back in the mix and put myself on the field,” Williams said. “I felt like I was ready, they felt like I was ready. It was a big thing for me. The last time I came off a suspension, I got the job done and this time I’m right back in action. . “

Getting Williams back into the full fold is just one way the Lions are looking to return to their explosive ways on offense. Despite being second in the NFL in scoring at 31.6 points per game. game, the Lions offense has played below Johnson’s standards the past three weeks — despite winning all three times — and he wants to see more down-to-down consistency from his group over a full four quarters, instead to gather or hold an assembly.

“We are still struggling to play 60 minutes of consistent football that we are capable of and we have shown glimpses that we can be a dominant unit when we all execute at a high level and we believe in what we er. do, but we just have to put it back together,” Johnson said of midweek improvements. “That’s all.”

And one person who can help with that is Williams, who is in the midst of a career year despite missing two games, is second on the team in receiving yards (414) and fourth in catches (20) .

“Yeah (we can be unstoppable) if we stay on track,” Williams said. “We just have to keep going.”

Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for Detroit Free Press. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22and email him at [email protected].