Weeks ago, my patience with Jameson Williams was starting to run thin. But we all gave him the benefit of the doubt that he had some hurdles to get going here in Detroit. Much of that was due to him recovering from a torn ACL during much of his rookie season. As he’s worked his way onto the field in his second season for Detroit, much of that is due to his ability to do the little things.
The little things are the big things.
Go to the 75-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery against the Chargers and one of the key blocks on the run is happening downfield from Jameson Williams. It’s gained respect from the fans but most importantly from the teammates and coaches of Williams. This will lead to more opportunities and more touches. That’s exactly what happened against the Chicago Bears for Jameson Williams.
Against the Bears, Williams recorded two receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown. One of the biggest catches of his career was a touchdown that brought the Lions down from a 12-point deficit to five points with just under three minutes left in the game. Let’s jump into the film room to break down this touchdown reception from Jameson Williams against the Bears!
There’s no doubt that the Jameson Williams touchdown was one of the best plays for the Lions offense against the Bears. Looking at the play above, the Lions come out with their 11 personnel (one running back and one tight end. Bunched together to the right of the formation is Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
As both receivers push vertically during this 1st and 10 play, they both end up running routes that break towards the sideline. For Jameson Williams, he runs what he called a “pylon route” and underneath him is St. Brown on a corner route. In the playbook, this would be identified as a hi-lo concept.
When re-watching the touchdown, Jameson Williams had this to say: “I had a pylon route, I seen the safety before the play, we running it off of him, he was inside of me, I knew I’d get 12-15 yards, if he’s not able to run with me to the back pylon, then we got him.”
For Jared Goff, he’s reading the cornerback (Bears CB 33 Jaylon Johnson). If the corner continues to get depth and follows the route from Williams, then Goff will throw the ball to St. Brown. If the corner sits on the lower route from St. Brown, then Goff will throw the ball to Williams. On this play, that’s exactly what happens.
When watching the play, you can see the speed and burst from Williams during this route. The safety is trailing him and is nowhere near fast enough to close the space between himself and Williams. This was a well-designed play by offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and it was executed even better from the Lions offense.
This is a positive sign for Jameson Williams and the Lions’ offense as they continue to need playmakers each and every single week. It’s starting to feel like more of these opportunities will present themselves for the former first-round pick of the 2022 NFL Draft in the second half of the season. Let’s hope Williams can build off this against the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Day.