Getty Jameson Williams runs away from the Bears in a 2023 game.
The Detroit Lions have taken time easing wideout Jameson Williams back into the mix, and that’s been a huge story over the second half of the season.
While the results haven’t shown themselves completely given Williams has just 81 total yards and one touchdown from scrimmage on two touches, that doesn’t mean bigger things aren’t on the horizon.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, January 5, Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson revealed what he’s been doing to get Williams going. As he said, it’s a little bit of everything within a long process of development.
“Each week we’re trying to push the envelope a little bit and maybe learn a couple different routes that that he hasn’t been taught yet or put him in a little different spot,” Johnson said. “Each week we’re trying to do that and it’s just how fast can we get them along, feel comfortable with it. I hoped it would click just a little bit faster than it has. I think we all have, but it takes time sometimes.”
In this conversation, faith is a key word for the Lions and Johnson, even amid a few frustrations. Right now, everybody has faith in Williams and his development, and thinks the wideout is trending toward something special at some point soon. That is true no matter what the timeline has looked like.
“We’re not losing faith. We’re going to keep pressing it and it’ll end up clicking at some point,” Johnson said. “He’ll have a big game and (it will be) ‘ah okay, that’s why we took him where we took him and that’s why he can help us so much.'”
Could Williams be lurking to produce this weekend against Green Bay in a winner-take-all scenario to help his team over the top? Football can be a strange game at times, so it’s never fair to rule anything out.
Nevertheless, Johnson watches practice all the time and has a grasp for what Williams can do. The fact that he remains very excited and encouraged should be music to the ears of all fans.
Williams Still Not Unhappy With Lions’ Plan
Instead of being frustrated with what the Lions have chosen to do with him, Williams has taken a much more mature approach to things, and is showing some impressive maturity regarding his usage.
Speaking with the media this week on Thursday, January 5, Williams was asked once again about what the Lions have done with him so far. Once again, he was nothing but complementary of what the team and Johnson is doing with him in the offense.
“I like what we’ve (done) so far. It takes time coming back from this type of injury, so it’s been a real great plan. They had a real great plan for me and we’ve just been moving well. We got a lot of wins and everything’s been going good,” Williams said to the media.
Williams continues to show the right mindset to potentially break through. If he can stay humble, he will have a great chance to prove his offensive coordinator right in the end.
Jared Goff Jokes About Williams’ Big Run
One of the new things the Lions elected to do with Williams was try to spring him free on a reverse. The play worked to perfection, as the Lions caught the Bears napping a bit, springing Williams free.
Leading the way, surprisingly, was none other than quarterback Jared Goff. Not known for his speed, Goff flashed a lot of it on the big play, and was looking like a very capable and willing blocker. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, January 4, Goff had a few jokes about his play.
“I was hoping he’d follow me and maybe he would have scored but no, he’s a whole lot faster than I am obviously,” Goff said. “Get the ball in his hands and good things happen, so hopefully continue to do that.”
Williams turned the reverse on first down early in the third quarter into a 40 yard gain and helped quickly move Detroit into scoring range to put Chicago away.
There goes Jamo!
#CHIvsDET | 📺 FOX
A few plays later, on second-and-goal, Jamaal Williams scored his 15th touchdown of the year.
“It’s fun. I was hoping to get into somebody’s way. There was nobody really get in the way of, but yeah, it was fun,” Goff joked of the Williams run.
It proves the Lions are trying everything to get Williams the big game they have been craving for him at wide receiver. According to Johnson, though, don’t be surprised if it shows up at some point more than a play or two here and there.
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Ben Johnson Makes Big Prediction for Jameson Williams’ Lions’ Future