Jared Goff and Jameson Williams endured a frustrating day against the Cleveland Browns this past Sunday.
Williams hauled in a 13-yard reception on Detroit’s opening snap. But the pair misfired on their following six attempts. Timing was off, a few drops occurred, and missed opportunities piled up. Williams ended up catching only his first and final throws, finishing with 40 yards versus Cleveland.
The Lions still rolled 34-10. And no one — not Goff, Williams, nor coach Dan Campbell — is concerned about their chemistry despite the performance.
After the win, Goff stressed his desire to keep targeting Williams often. He also accepted part of the blame, labeling Williams “one of the best players in this league.”
“He was open at times. He was covered at times,” Goff explained. “That interception was a terrible read and not about forcing it to him. I saw it badly and got reckless — that’s on me.
“I thought Jamo was solid. He had a couple drops. He’s steady throughout the week now. I’ve got zero concerns with him. He’s as dangerous as anyone out there. He can score anywhere and I’ll keep trusting him always … Yeah, he had the one tough drop, but I missed him more than once.”
Through four games, the 24-year-old wideout has 10 receptions on 20 targets for 214 yards and a score. He had his first two drops of the year against Cleveland.
One mistake stood out near the red zone in the fourth quarter. Another came on a perfect deep strike from Goff, where Williams tracked the ball but couldn’t complete the catch.
Williams’ first grab for 13 yards showed improved body control the team has emphasized. He faked a vertical route, slammed the brakes, and beat Greg Newsome II with a hitch.
On his second chance, Goff took a big hit as Williams split the safeties. The third was a deep ball bouncing off his hands in the second quarter.
Goff went long again before halftime, but Williams was smothered and had no chance.
The interception came on Williams’ fifth look. Goff rushed with pressure closing in and gambled recklessly.
Midway through the third, leading 20-10 on third-and-4, Goff targeted Williams again. But he needed more protection to connect in stride.
One throw won’t appear in stats. With Myles Garrett offside, Goff fired deep on the free play. But Williams wasn’t ready, and the potential big gain slipped away.
Williams’ low point arrived on the first fourth-quarter snap. Goff delivered another perfect ball on third-and-2, but Williams dropped it. Detroit failed on fourth down right after.
He redeemed himself with a 27-yard strike over the middle later, salvaging the outing on a better note.
It was simply one of those days. Williams remains high-risk, high-reward. Still, Detroit believes strongly — giving him a three-year, $83 million extension proves that.
Dan Campbell echoed that responsibility was split. He noted Williams’ timing and Goff’s miss, adding “we just weren’t in sync.”
“… Back to work we go. And I hate excuses, but we wanted vertical shots,” Campbell explained Monday. “We couldn’t practice Wednesday, so Thursday became catch-up. Sometimes it reminds me: either we push for live reps early, or we scrap certain plays. That’s fine.
“But they’ve worked enough, and more reps are coming. Those two will be fine. Jamo is special, Goff’s a leader, and we’ll be just fine.”



