The Lions’ 1-1 start has already delivered a little bit of everything. Detroit opened with a wild overtime win over the Saints after building an early cushion, then got pushed back in Week 2 when the Bills jumped them early on a short week and handed them a 41-31 loss.
That puts Week 3 against the Jets at Ford Field in a pretty important spot for Detroit, and the Lions could use cleaner play from a couple of key names who haven’t quite met the moment yet: Jameson Williams and D.J. Wonnum.
Williams has been quiet by the standards Detroit is asking of him. In two games, he has six catches for 78 yards on 13 targets. The opener was especially rough, with multiple drops and a fumble on a reverse that the Lions were able to recover.
That’s not the kind of start anyone expected from a receiver who can change the feel of an offense in a hurry. Williams’ speed gives Detroit a vertical element few teams can match, and he can impact games both as a pass-catcher and as a runner. The Lions also made their commitment clear with a three-year extension before last season, which only raises the bar for what comes next.
Amon-Ra St. Brown remains the top target, but Williams has built his reputation as more than just a deep threat.
He’s supposed to be a dependable second option who can also hit on explosive plays. So far, that piece of the offense has been missing.
Wonnum’s slow start has come on the other side of the ball. Detroit brought him in this offseason to line up opposite Aidan Hutchinson, and Hutchinson has wasted no time, piling up three sacks in two games. Wonnum, meanwhile, still hasn’t recorded one.
The numbers back up the sluggish beginning. Through two games, he has only three total pressures across 66 pass-rush snaps, and his pass-rush win rate sits at 8.1 percent.
The Lions didn’t sign Wonnum expecting him to be an elite edge destroyer, but they did need him to bring steadiness and enough punch to make life easier for Hutchinson. He flashed that kind of impact in the preseason with a sack against the Commanders, but it hasn’t carried into the regular season yet.
Detroit also has rookie Derrick Moore struggling out of the gate, which only increases the pressure on Wonnum to give the defense more activity from that spot.
In Other News...
Lions Fans Are Losing Faith But Still See One Immediate Chance
A rough Week 2 has clearly taken some shine off the Lions early-season buzz, at least in the eyes of the fan base. In the latest SB Nation Reacts survey sponsored by FanDuel Sportsbook, confidence in the direction of the organization slipped from the previous week, and fewer than half of respondents said they still felt good about where things are headed.
Even so, the mood is not close to panic just yet, because Detroit has an immediate chance to steady itself in Week 3 against the New York Jets. Fans may be cooling on the bigger picture after the loss, but the upcoming matchup still looks like the kind of spot where the Lions can quickly remind everyone why optimism had been running so high a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Amon-Ra St. Brown's Bills Fallout Just Got More Complicated
The aftermath of the Lions Week 2 loss in Buffalo has extended well beyond the final whistle, with Amon-Ra St. Brown among the players hit by the NFL for postgame discipline tied to celebration-related penalties. St. Brown was fined $59,704 for multiple unsportsmanlike conduct infractions, adding another layer to a night that already left Detroit with plenty to sort through.
He was not alone in feeling the leagues reach, either. Five other Lions players also drew fines for a range of violations, including Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, Penei Sewell, Tyler Lacy and Devin White, pushing Detroits total in Week 2 past $120,000. For a team still trying to settle in after a tough loss, the financial hit is a reminder that the fallout in Buffalo reached well beyond the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Three Underused Lions Could Decide More Than Fans Expect Vs Jets
Through two games of the 2026 season, the Lions have gotten only modest early returns from a few players who may still matter plenty as the year unfolds. Kerry Wonnum, Jalen McCreary and TeSlaa have all been around the action without making much of a dent yet, but that can change quickly in a league where roles expand fast and one strong Sunday can alter a rotation.
Week 3 against the Jets gives Detroit a chance to see whether that quiet start was just a slow opening or the beginning of something more limited. Each of those players is in position for more playing time and a bigger statistical footprint, and for a team trying to stack wins early, even the lesser-used pieces can end up shaping how far the depth chart reaches. [Read more 🡒]