In their latest matchup, the Detroit Lions topped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-9 on Oct. 20. Yet even after the win, wide receiver Jameson Williams posted the iconic Crying Jordan meme wearing a football uniform on his Instagram story.
If the former Alabama All-American felt upset or discouraged, Detroit wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery didn’t fault him for it.
Against Tampa Bay, Williams finished without a catch on two targets from quarterback Jared Goff. Two weeks earlier, during a 37-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, he made his lone grab for nine yards. That came after a three-game stretch where he had two catches per outing, including his 108-yard, two-catch explosion in a 52-21 win over the Chicago Bears on Sept. 14.
“If he wasn’t a little bit frustrated right now, that would tell me he’s gotten comfortable,” Montgomery said. “He hasn’t shown anything negative in the building or on the sideline, which in previous years might have surfaced four or five weeks ago. But that shows his maturity. He knows he’s putting in the work and doing things the right way. …
“But we’ve got to move from talking about potential to talking about production, and we’ll reach that point.”
In his third NFL season, Williams broke out with 58 receptions for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns over 15 regular-season games in 2024. Through seven games of 2025, he’s tallied 17 catches for 289 yards and two touchdowns.
“We want to win games and score points, that’s everyone’s goal,” Goff said. “But sure, we’d love to get him more involved, get him the ball in creative ways. He’s explosive, and defenses always account for him. We just have to keep finding ways to feature him.”
After leading the league in scoring a season ago, the Lions currently sit third at 30.7 points per game. However, their 37.65 percent third-down rate ranks 22nd this season, compared to fourth-best at 46.98 percent in 2024.
“He needs more chances,” Montgomery said about Williams. “We’re figuring out how to get those, and it ties right into our third-down results. Better third-down execution means more plays for receivers and backs, longer drives, and more chances to create after the catch. …
“In games we’ve played well, we’ve had close to 170 yards after catch. In others, even wins, we haven’t met our standard there.
“So we’ve got to fine-tune parts of his skill set, but there are also other ways—ones I won’t detail—where we can help him get into better positions.”
Goff has targeted Williams 11 times on third downs in 2025, resulting in six receptions for 117 yards, four first downs, and two touchdowns. Williams has also produced 126 yards after the catch this season.
At 5-2 following the bye, Detroit returns to action against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Minnesota has historically limited Williams—through four meetings, he has 13 catches for 114 yards and a touchdown.
The Alabama Games of the Week feature the Denver Broncos-Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks-Washington Commanders matchups on Sunday, with both contests showcasing 13 players from Alabama schools.
