Jameson Williams was the talk of the hour in Detroit Lions training camp. After years of being plagued by drop issues, the former first-round pick reportedly worked extensively on his hands- the only thing holding him back from stardom.
So far, that hard work hasn't paid off. He was pretty quiet in the first three games before finally topping 100 yards in the loss to the Carolina Panthers. But even then, he had two costly drops on his eight targets.
That's why Lions wide receiver coach Scottie Montgomery called him out ahead of Week 5. When asked about Williams' performance, he reminded him again that dropping passes is just unacceptable at this level.
Jameson Williams' drop issues continue to hurt the Detroit Lions
“Every target he had in that game should've been a catch. If it hits you, you gotta catch it," Montgomery said (h/t Will Burchfield). "You can’t be boom or bust in this league. That is average. We gotta get him completely refocused on making wide-open catches and contested catches."
Williams dropped a career-worst nine passes last season. We're 25 percent through the regular season, and he's already at 4. He's inching dangerously closer to the second-worst mark of his career (5), and that just can't happen.
He has all the talent and the physical tools to be one of the deadliest big-play threats in the game, but it's hard to trust him with the game on the line. Jared Goff raved about his growth and development, yet no one would've blamed him if he looked elsewhere when in need of a crucial catch.
Williams overcame a worrisome start to his career. He took a hard look in the mirror, turned his life around, and focused on what mattered. He clearly cares, so if this isn't a work ethic issue, the Lions must get to the bottom of this.
Maybe this is all mental. Perhaps he's trying to make a play before getting the ball in his hands, and that's also a coaching issue. Granted, accountability matters, but maybe throwing him under the bus won't do much to help.
We're one month into the regular season, and there's already talk about bringing in a senior defensive assistant coach to give Kelvin Sheppard a hand, Sam LaPorta ended contract extension talks, and one coach is taking shots at his player. Not the best vibes, for sure.
That said, this team has also built a culture of accountability, at least in the locker room, and Williams knows he's not meeting the standard. He's getting paid big bucks and is expected to perform according to his talent, and hopefully, this will be the wake-up call he needs to get on track.
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