The Detroit Lions are fresh off the bye week and have the Minnesota Vikings coming into town for an NFC North contest at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
While the Lions are 5-2 on the campaign, they haven't gotten much production from Jameson Williams in the process. It's frustrating for both sides, and offensive coordinator John Morton took accountability for the slow start.
When speaking to the media on Thursday, Morton said, via Kory Woods of MLive.com, "I failed him." Morton added that he's making a more concerted effort to get Williams more chances, and he worked on just that throughout the bye.
John Morton Reveals He Plans to Get Jameson Williams Going More After the Bye
Right before the season started in September, Williams and Detroit agreed on a three-year deal with a max value of $83 million. He received $66 million guaranteed, but has had to work through a slow start to the 2025 campaign. The Alabama product has reeled in 17 passes for 289 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Williams has 10 or fewer receiving yards in two of the past three games. He's only gone over more than 60 receiving yards twice this season. That's not the kind of production Detroit is looking to gain from one of its most dynamic weapons.
Granted, Morton is a new play caller, but he knows he must do a better job at getting Williams involved in the game plan. The 24-year-old has been a great teammate and hasn't made any slick remarks regarding his usage. He's doing everything the coaches are asking, and they are taking notice of that.
The Lions are a better offensive unit when No. 1 is making plays for them. He's coming off a career year when he posted 1,001 receiving yards (17.3 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns.
Fast forwarding to this season, Williams is third in the team in targets (30), trailing Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta. Meanwhile, Jahmyr Gibbs is right on Williams' tail with 28 targets.
Despite this lackluster start to the season, fans should expect an influx of production from Williams over the remainder of the campaign. It's a tough balancing act for sure, with so many mouths to feed within the offense, but that's what Morton is still ironing out.
It certainly isn't an easy job, yet Morton is ready for it. And based on how things have gone, Williams is eagerly anticipating the change.