Jameson Williams runs after making a catch against the Chicago Bears.

With the Detroit Lions holding a slim lead and trying to fend off a late push from the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving, wide receiver Jameson Williams made a mistake that nearly cost his team the game.

After catching a pass in the fourth quarter, Williams tossed the ball at Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson as they exchanged words near the sideline. The officials flagged Williams for unsportsmanlike conduct, and the drive ended with a missed field goal by kicker Jake Bates.

Despite the setback, the Lions managed to hang on for a 23-20 win as the Bears ran out of time on their final drive, and Williams took responsibility for his actions after the game.

Jameson Williams Took Responsibility After Losing His Cool

Lions quarterback Jared Goff said Williams immediately acknowledged his mistake, apologizing to his teammates after the game. Goff expressed pride in the third-year receiver for owning up to his actions right away.

“I know that was a mistake by him, but I’m proud of him the way he handled it,” Goff said, via MLive.com. “He stood up and took responsibility. We’ll move on.”

Williams understood the severity of the penalty, especially with the game on the line. After the Lions took a 16-0 halftime lead, the Bears fought back in the second half, pulling within three points late in the fourth quarter. The Lions were driving to extend their lead when Williams’ penalty pushed them back.

“We’re trying to win a football game, so those things like that can’t happen,” Williams said after the game. “That’s the main thing.”

Jameson Williams Faced Maturity Questions

This wasn’t the first time Williams had hurt his team with a personal mistake. After missing a significant portion of his rookie year while rehabbing a torn ACL, Williams was suspended for the first four games of his second season for violating the league’s gambling policy.

He returned and showed steady improvement last season and into this year but was again suspended this season for a performance-enhancing drug violation, missing two games. Despite the setbacks, the coaching staff continued to support him. Head coach Dan Campbell said he hoped the suspension would serve as a learning moment for Williams.

“I think any time you don’t get to play this game, I think you’ll always reflect, and it helps you look at it (from) a different vantage point. It hurts, man, it hurts not to play,” Campbell said, via SI.com. “When you don’t have anybody to blame but yourself, it makes you look at yourself a little bit harder. And so, he’ll be fine, I really believe that, and I do believe he’ll learn from it. He was just out there at our walkthrough we had, man, he’s locked in, ready to go. I think he’s gonna come right out of this, on top.”

Williams expressed his gratitude for Campbell’s continued trust in him.

“It means a lot. That’s my head coach. I’ve been through a lot playing under him,” Williams said. “We’ve been through, we’ve bumped heads in certain situations, but now I see his faith in me and all. He understands what happened and things like that. So, it’s big to me, him having faith in me and being along with me in those situations.”