Getty Jameson Williams excited after a 2022 touchdown for the Lions.
The Detroit Lions haven’t seen rookie wide receiver Jameson Williams explode on the scene as many had hoped after a big effort in Week 14.
So what’s going on with Williams? Why has the youngster been hot and cold in terms of usage for the Lions? One week, he will earn snaps while the other, he is seemingly an afterthought.
A big reason that is the case, according to head coach Dan Campbell, is the fact that Williams is still learning and improving. He continues to do both of those things, and the coach revealed that he could earn more plays in Week 17 as a result.
Speaking with 97.1 The Ticket in an interview on Tuesday, December 27, Campbell was asked about Williams, and revealed some of the thinking behind what the staff is doing with the youngster.
As he said via Justin Rogers of the Detroit News, Williams remains a work in progress and is still improving to earn more looks. Those looks, though, are coming.
“He’s a work in progress, and it’s like anything else, he gets better in practice, sharper in the details and all that. He was a little better this week than last week and we’ll get him a couple plays, a couple more plays this week.” – Dan Campbell on Jameson Williams via 97.1
“He’s a work in progress, and it’s like anything else, he gets better in practice, sharper in the details and all that. He was a little better this week than last week and we’ll get him a couple plays, a couple more plays this week.” – Dan Campbell on Jameson Williams via 97.1,” Rogers tweeted.
Something to watch this week? The Lions are back indoors after playing two straight games in the elements. It was a freezing day with a hard field in Week 16, and Week 15 was also a tough game for a team to throw the ball effectively. It’s possible the Lions did not want to risk him in that game.
Perhaps Williams comes back strong this week and sees a bigger workload indoors for the Lions against a Chicago pass defense that is middle of the pack, allowing 209 yards per-game and 18 total touchdowns.
Campbell Promises More Reps for Williams
In terms of what will be done for Williams to get him going, Campbell was more than a bit tight-lipped when asked about the plan moving forward during his press conference on Monday, December 26.
The coach did, however, make a promise. Williams is going to see more repetitions this week, and perhaps to close the season as well within the team’s offense.
“We’ll get him more reps. Yeah, we’ll get him more reps,” Campbell said in response to a question about what the plan is with Williams.
The quick answer might reveal the Lions have a bigger plan than they want to admit for Williams, who is still seen largely as an unknown for the Lions within their offense.
Right now, Williams is still largely an unknown for Detroit. That might change in due time, especially with more targets and reps.
Williams’ 2022 Stats & Highlights
In terms of a play that could show the potential of a guy like Williams both now and the rest of the season, his lone touchdown in the league offered a great glimpse of what he could do.
During the first quarter on second-and-five on December 11, Williams burned the entire secondary of Minnesota, and turned in a major score for the Lions.
Here’s a look at the play, which was a beautiful route and the type of score that Williams turned in plenty of times in his college career:
FIRST NFL CATCH IS A TOUCHDOWN FOR @bigsgjamo!
#MINvsDET | 📺 FOX
Williams managed to find a seam down the middle of the field and managed to outrun everybody. It was a huge play for Detroit, who managed to get a big play to start the game and ignite a sellout crowd en-route to a blowout 34-23 win for the Lions.
Since then, though, Williams hasn’t done much on the field. He has just the one reception for 41 yards and one touchdown this year after coming back on the field for the Jacksonville game and then being featured against Minnesota, the Jets and Panthers.
If more targets are part of the plan, it will be interesting to see how much the Lions choose to get him involved in Week 17. That’s the last domed game for the Lions this season ahead of a potential playoff game.
Williams seems primed to do more soon, and Campbell and the Lions may want to get him there in Week 17. Watch and see what the plan is for the young receiver this time around.
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