The Detroit Lions emerged out of their bye week with a 5-2 record and have a winnable matchup against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9. While there are a lot of things that have gone right for the Lions in the first half of the season, they’ll be looking to fine-tune some things in the second half to make sure their push for a championship doesn’t fall short as it did one season ago.
One of the things that the Lions are striving for is to get the ball in Jameson Williams’s hands. After signing a three-year, $83 million contract last September, Williams has been disappointing with just 17 catches for 289 yards and two touchdowns over the first seven games.
It’s created a steady stream of Lions players and coaches that have mentioned getting their star receiver the football is a priority coming out of the bye. Jared Goff joined the chorus with his remarks to reporters on Tuesday.
“We would love to,” Goff said when asked if the Lions would like to get Williams more involved. “We want to win the game, we want to score points and I think that’s the primary [objective] for everybody. But of course, yeah, we’d love to get him involved more, and get him the rock a million different ways.”
Lions Know It’s Time to Turn Jameson Williams’s Potential into Production
In addition to his total stats, Williams has struggled on a game-to-game basis. He has just two contests with four or more receptions this season, and only two games over 43 yards receiving.
Some of the reason for Williams’s downturn is how they’ve been using him, trying to make him a more complete receiver that can turn short throws into big ones. But Goff also reasoned that defenses could be dictating the looks that Williams is seeing by trying to eliminate him during the course of a game.
“He’s explosive,” Goff continued. “I know defenses are worried about him at all times, and we need to find ways to continue to keep him involved.”
Goff may not go speak to a manager but he could at least bring it up to head coach Dan Campbell and offensive coordinator John Morton. Lions receivers coach and assistant head coach Scottie Montgomery told Kory Woods of MLive.com that they need to “get to a point where we’re not talking about potential” and “get to the ceiling” when it comes to Williams’s involvement in the offense.
Jameson Williams Has the Perfect Chance to Get Right vs. the Vikings
Looking at the schedule, Williams may have the perfect opportunity for a get right game in Week 9. The Vikings are on tilt after allowing 227 yards and three touchdowns to Justin Herbert in a 37-10 loss on Oct. 23. They are also running short on personnel as Byron Murphy Jr. has taken a step back as their top corner and top pass-rusher Andrew Van Ginkel has been sidelined with a neck injury.
A team that allowed a previously lifeless Jalen Hurts to go off for 326 yards and three touchdowns in a Week 7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Vikings have shown they can be burned. While Amon-Ra St. Brown could also benefit, Williams should have his opportunities against a team that traded out of a chance to select him in the first round 2022 NFL Draft and perhaps get out of the season-long funk he’s been in over the first seven games.