As Houston Texans defensive back Calen Bullock came down with the fifth interception of the night for the Houston Texans defense, Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams had a question for offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
The interception occured on a deep pass intended for Williams, and he and quarterback Jared Goff appeared to be on different pages as far as where the ball was supposed to go. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson explained that he has found that the young wideout responds well to being challenged, and did so after that play.
“He came to me and was like, ‘Hey, was my angle right?’ I said, ‘No, it wasn’t right. That’s not what we talked about. But the ball’s gonna come to you in the fourth quarter here and we need you to make a play.’ And he responded to that call just like that," Johnson said. "I think that happens within practice, that happens in the meeting room, and it certainly happened on game day last week for us.”
The third-year Alabama product hauled in three passes against the Texans, with all three coming at pivotal junctures. He extended drives with third-down conversions on two occasions on Detroit's first drive, and added an impressive catch in the fourth quarter.
“We had the rough first half. Second half we had a plan, kind of figured them out. Saw what they were doing, came out and made adjustments," Williams said. "But the main coaching point he told me was on one of the interceptions, I came out of my route, I had the wrong angle, I came out too flat when I was supposed to go to the spot and have a higher angle. That was the main one and I responded, made the third down grab, a big one for the team to move the sticks.”
Jameson Williams
Inside Allen Park
Thursday Lions Practice #OnSI #LionsOnSI pic.twitter.com/kvmdRzWKD9— DetroitSportsPodcast (@DetroitPodcast) November 14, 2024
With Williams seeming to appreciate the tough coaching he's received from Johnson and company, Detroit has found an effective strategy to get the most out of him.
"He's really coming on. When you challenge him on the sideline, he typically responds in a positive way," Johnson explained. "We knew, particularly with the turnovers, our margin for error had gone down and so he needed to make that play for us at that time, and he did. But the level of confidence in him and his hands and his detail continues to rise."
Johnson wasn't the only one impressed with Williams' efforts, as coach Dan Campbell also praised his clutch performance.
“Yeah, I loved it. That was good to see. He went in there, it felt like he attacked the football. He really made two outstanding catches," Campbell said. "One back hip catch behind him, and then the other one over the middle where he’s just getting sandwiched and catches that ball over his head and takes it all the way down for the catch. Those were big time plays for us. Both of them explosive plays.
"So, it was good to get him back and to feel like, OK – you didn’t feel like you’re starting all over with him," Campbell continued. "That’s a good feeling, that’s what we anticipated, that’s what we hoped for, ‘Hey, he’s going to be alright, he’s going to pick up where he left off.’ And he certainly did that. So, love where he’s at right now.”
Williams was able to make an impact in his first game back after a two-game absence. Rather than ease him back into the fold, the Lions allowed him to hit the ground running in his return.
As a result, Williams was in position to make multiple big plays when the Lions looked his way.
“Just being prepared. When your number’s called, you’ve got to make a play no matter the circumstances, if you’re getting hit in the front and back," Williams said. "You’ve just got to make a play. It was big for us, we were just making our comeback. We’re trying to win the game, so every play’s got to be made when somebody’s number called. So that was just my thing, I felt like I had to make a play and brung it in.”
