Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams isn’t interested in headlines, hot takes, or fan narratives about his body language, he’s interested in winning.
After five games this season, Williams sits fourth on the team in targets and receptions and third in receiving yards (11 catches for 223 yards and one touchdown). He’s been quiet statistically, but his attitude remains anything but negative.
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When asked about fans worrying over his “demeanor” and limited involvement, Williams didn’t mince words:
“I don’t got nothing to say about that, really,” Williams told MLive’s Kory Woods. “It’s nothing to say about it. It’s like, we go out and we win. It is what it is. We win. I don’t really wanna say too much or speak on it.”
Williams’ tone wasn’t defensive, just aware. The 24-year-old knows how easily words can be twisted, and he’s learned to let his play (and patience) speak for itself.
Personally, I have not seen any change in Williams’ “demeanor” at all. In fact, I he seems very happy to win football games, even if he is not catching a ton of passes.
Defenses Are Keying on Jamo
Part of why Williams hasn’t broken loose lately has more to do with how defenses are treating him than anything he’s done wrong. Opposing teams are rolling safeties over the top, playing more two-high shells, and giving him almost no room to get behind coverage.
“I most definitely see it, but we just game-plan and go against it,” Williams explained. “If they got two on me, we go somewhere else. It’s obviously light somewhere else if you put two people on one person. It gives us an advantage, I think.”
Lions offensive coordinator John Morton agreed, noting that Williams’ presence alone changes how defenses play Detroit. Against the Bengals, for example, Morton said Cincinnati played far more two-high zones than in previous games. all to keep Williams from torching them deep.
That adjustment opened the middle of the field for Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, who combined for 12 catches and nearly 150 yards in Detroit’s 34-10 win.
“That’s a Jameson effect,” Morton said. “There’s a big threat out there, and teams are now just playing a little bit different.”
A Quiet Professional
What’s impressed Detroit’s coaching staff most isn’t what Williams is doing with the ball, it’s what he’s doing without it.
Despite seeing just one target for nine yards last Sunday, wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery called it Williams’ “best, cleanest, most physical game in the run game” this season.
“And it’s coming off a situation where it didn’t go the way that he wanted it to go,” Montgomery said. “You’re a wide receiver, you better want the ball. But on the sideline, every single play, he was so excited for everybody. I was a little shocked. But at the same time, listen, he knows why he’s here.”
Montgomery emphasized that Williams is maturing into a complete receiver, one who understands how to contribute even when he’s not in the spotlight.
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The Bottom Line
Jameson Williams might not be putting up video-game numbers, but he’s impacting games in ways that don’t always show up on the stat sheet. His gravity forces defenses to adjust. His attitude uplifts teammates. His effort in the run game has been “elite,” according to coaches.
And most importantly, as Williams put it himself:
“We win.”
That’s all that matters.