TheDetroit Lions found their spark on Sunday — and wide receiver Jameson Williams was right in the middle of it. In the Lions’ 44–22 win over the Washington Commanders, the speedy former first-rounder erupted for 100 receiving yards by the end of the third quarter alone.
Through the first eight games of the season, Williams had recorded 21 catches for 355 yards and three touchdowns — numbers that trailed his strong 2024 campaign, when he posted 58 receptions for 1,001 yards and seven scores in 15 games. But against Washington, his connection with Jared Goff finally clicked again.
After a quiet first half with just a 14-yard grab, Williams became a focal point coming out of halftime. On three of Detroit’s first five second-half plays, Goff targeted him for gains of 22, 11, and 14 yards — the last of which went for a touchdown, giving the Lions a 32–10 advantage.
Before the third quarter ended, Williams tacked on receptions of 41 and 17 yards, finishing the period with five catches, 105 yards, and a score.
Campbell Praises Williams’ Persistence
“I thought Jamo showed up, man,” head coach Dan Campbell said after the game. “He’s been working his tail off every single day. He comes in, puts in the effort, and grinds at it. We just hadn’t been able to connect before today. But today, Goff got him going. He made some big-time plays, and his confidence was rolling. He’s absolutely one of our guys.”
Interestingly, Campbell could have taken credit himself — he called the offensive plays instead of coordinator John Morton, taking over play-calling duties for the matchup.
A Shift in Play-Calling
Campbell explained that the move wasn’t about dissatisfaction but about finding rhythm.
“It was just, ‘Let’s try something a little different,’” he said. “I know what I want to do and how I want to do it, but it’s always collaborative. I was taking input from John Morton and the rest of the staff the whole time.
“I just wanted to shake things up a little — see if a new voice could get us into a groove. That’s really all it was. Don’t read into it too much. It was a change we made, and it worked for today.”
Williams and the Offense Respond
Coming off a narrow 27–24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit’s offense came out determined to rebound — no matter who was calling plays.
“Shout out to Dan for how he managed the game,” Williams said. “But honestly, we came in with a chip on our shoulder after last week. Everybody wanted to execute. Jahmyr Gibbs had three touchdowns, the ball got spread around — when everyone’s touching it like that, it’s easy to put up points. We’ve got playmakers everywhere.”
Of Williams’ six receptions, the official stat sheet classified five as short passes — proof that Detroit’s quick-hitting approach was deliberate.
“It worked with how they wanted to play us,” Williams explained. “They ran a lot of man and match coverage, so it was about getting separation and pulling away from DBs. When they try to sit on your back hip, you just break it off clean and the ball’s there.”
The Lions will look to keep that offensive rhythm going when they face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field. Kickoff is set for 7:20 p.m. CST, with NBC broadcasting the game nationally.
