Getty Jamaal Williams playing the Lions with the Packers in 2020.
As most fans understand, it’s been a minute since the Detroit Lions have fielded a consistent rushing attack let alone one of the best in the league.
As a result, there can always be a palpable feeling of frustration over what has to be done to fill such a void in the future or what must happen to get the Lions on that level. Plenty of folks have an opinion about how the Lions could turn things around, but through the years, there has been few tangible solutions that have emerged.
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Quite possibly, the newest member of the team may have found his own way to crack that code. Jamaal Williams was signed this offseason to provide stability and playmaking at running back, and as ESPN’s Eric Woodyard explained in a piece, Williams wants to be part of the solution by hitting reset and starting over at the position, especially given what’s gone on for the team in the recent past.
Williams said:
“The Lions haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Reggie Bush in 2013, the longest active drought in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Detroit’s run game thrived during Hall of Famer Barry Sanders’ time with the team, as it led the NFL in 1,000-yard rushing seasons and 100-yard rushing games by individual players from 1989-98.
Since 1998, they’ve been arguably the worst running team in the league.
“I feel like with our players and my teammates and everybody, just want to get out of this slump we’ve just got to start new. Then at the same time, we’ve got to have a new mindset of how we’re gonna do things around here,” Williams told ESPN. “We’re just gonna be focused and sacrifice for the team. The more you sacrifice for the team, the more the team will flourish. It’s just part of me learning it at the same time. It really just comes with a lot of team chemistry, and that’s what we’re getting on. I’m having fun with it. I love all my teammates. These boys are funny, and at the same time, we’re working hard.”
Having fun and having the right mindset can go a long way toward breaking such an elongated drought. When the pressure becomes too much, some players can press and the weight of what’s trying to be accomplished can become too much. Has that been a reason for the struggles in Detroit? It’s very possible.
Williams having fun, cutting it loose and looking to keep the mood light might only serve to be the best possible elixir for what has ailed the Lions offense. That as well as a revved-up offensive line and Anthony Lynn’s approach could combine to make things feel very different for the Lions very soon.
Detroit’s Running Backs Have Been Historically Bad
It’s been since Barry Sanders that the Lions have had an acceptable ground game. Sanders retired before the 1999 season, so it’s been a while that the Lions have been in the doldrums on the ground on offense. The team has tried to turn their fortunes around, from signing names like James Stewart and Reggie Bush to drafting players like Jahvid Best, Theo Riddick, Kevin Smith, Kerryon Johnson and others. It’s been hard to find the right concoction for sustained success, but the hope is D’Andre Swift as well as Williams can bring the juice, and a rookie like Jermar Jefferson can have meaningful contributions in the future.
As a whole, the Lions have not even been average on the ground for years, they’ve simply been bad. The focus of the players and the team is to change that for the future.
Lions Running Back Room Suddenly Deep
Hopefully for the Lions, the drought at having a consistent ground game is set to expire. It’s been a wild offseason in Detroit for running backs. Detroit released Kerryon Johnson a few months back, which was a mild surprise only because of the fact that Johnson was established and a solid pass protector. Other than that, there was a question of where his snaps were going to come from in 2021. The Lions signed Williams and haveSwift on the roster, who many believe is trending toward being a future star. Bringing Jeffrson into the mix in the draft likely only complicated matters more for the Lions, who have a ton of depth suddenly at running back. Johnson was likely never going to see the big role that was expected in Detroit, thus the team decided to pull the plug and give Johnson a chance at a fresh start somewhere else.
The Lions should have enough bodies to help make things better on the ground, and if they have the right mindset, they might only serve to be more dangerous in the future.
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