Jameson Williams hasn’t been piling up the kind of fireworks Detroit usually gets from him, but that hasn’t meant he’s been quiet.
Through the Lions’ first three games, Williams has 10 catches for 127 yards. Solid numbers, sure. But they don’t fully capture the way defenses have treated him, with opponents stacking help deep and trying to keep him from ripping off the kind of downfield plays that have defined him over the first four seasons of his career.
That attention showed up in Detroit’s win over the Jets on Isaac TeSlaa’s 49-yard grab. The Lions motioned Amon-Ra St.
Brown to create a trips look on the right side, then TeSlaa and Williams both crossed the field. Williams ran a deep post while TeSlaa worked underneath, and Williams effectively occupied the safety on his side before pulling the other safety in the two-high look.
That left TeSlaa wide open.
The Jets were locked in on Williams in that moment, and it opened the door for a huge play that eventually helped set up the game-winning touchdown.
“It’s a part of the game. I just look at it like I’m a threat,” Williams said.
“I’ll take three people out of the play so the bros can make an explosive. It’s got some good to it.”
Detroit has seen plenty of shell coverages, and those two-deep looks have helped the Lions on the ground and underneath. Jahmyr Gibbs has taken advantage, rushing for 307 yards and adding 156 yards on 18 catches because the safeties are sitting back and the short game is there to be had.
One answer for Detroit is to keep doing what it’s already been doing: use Williams as the decoy who drags the safeties away, then attack the flats and the middle of the field based on what the linebackers give them. Williams said that’s part of the chess match.
“When he goes crazy, hopefully the defense chooses to try to stop him and put more players in the box instead of playing a shell coverage or things like that,” Williams said. “Also, that’s where we help each other.
Teams are so, I wouldn’t say scared, but more aware that we can create explosives down the field in the pass game so they play us in shell. It allows (Gibbs) to get off and go off, but he’s gonna do that regardless whether it’s shell or one-high.
It’s just a part of the game, we’ve just got to scheme up how they’re playing us.”
Detroit could also work more timing routes against those two deep safeties, pairing Williams with a route that pulls coverage one way while he breaks off into space behind the linebackers. A dig route paired with a go route is one example of how that can create a window.
Even with those two-high looks making life tougher for him as a vertical threat, Williams still changes the picture for defenses. And if teams decide to play more man coverage, he remains a problem.
“We’ve got to scheme up the defense from how they’re trying to scheme us up,” Williams said. “We’ve just got to execute.
They’re out there on the field, we’ve just got to execute. They’re out there on the field, we’ve just got to make the plays even when it’s not going to turn into an explosive and things like that.”
In Other News...
Panthers Hit With New NFL Discipline Right Before Lions Game
The Panthers are dealing with a little added noise before their matchup with the Lions, as the NFL handed down fines to three Carolina players for penalties committed in Week 3 against Cleveland. A.J. Dillon was fined for a facemask, Lee Hunter for unsportsmanlike conduct tied to taunting, and Thomas Incoom for unnecessary roughness involving helmet use.
None of the three was suspended, so Carolina will still have its full group available when it lines up against Detroit. Even so, the discipline serves as a reminder that the league is watching closely, and the Lions will face a Panthers team trying to keep its edge without letting the extra attention spill into Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Face A Sam LaPorta Question They Couldn't Settle
The Lions and Sam LaPorta have hit pause on contract-extension talks after several weeks of negotiations failed to produce a deal, a familiar sort of detour for a franchise that has not shied away from working on its own timeline. LaPortas side decided to step back for now so the tight end can stay focused on the season, leaving open the possibility that the conversation picks up again once the games are over.
For Detroit, the situation turns one of its most important young pieces into an offseason question again, even if the door is not closed. The team has a history of handling contracts during the season, and it would not be a surprise if it tries again to keep LaPorta in place long term, especially with the chance that any agreement could land him among the leagues highest-paid tight ends. [Read more 🡒]
Isaac TeSlaa Has A Real Chance To Build On Last Week
Isaac TeSlaa finally gave the Lions a glimpse of what he can add to the passing game last week, finishing with four catches for 66 yards against the Jets. For a second-year receiver still trying to carve out a steadier role, it was the kind of outing that can change how a coaching staff looks at the depth chart from one week to the next.
The next opportunity looks even more inviting against Carolina, which has already lost two starting cornerbacks to injured reserve. With Detroit likely looking to keep feeding TeSlaa after his uptick in involvement, betting analyst Drew Ellis is expecting him to top his receiving total from last week, a sign that this might be more than a one-game spike for a young player trying to force his way into the offense. [Read more 🡒]