Lions OC Says He 'Failed' Wide Receiver Jameson Williams

One of the biggest tasks for the Detroit Lions has been to get wide receiver Jameson Williams more involved in the offense.

Through seven games, Williams has had bouts of inconsistency when it comes to his overall production. He has 17 catches for 289 yards up to this point in the season.

The former Alabama Crimson Tide wideout expressed to reporters he has no feelings of frustration regarding his role in the offense.

He indicated a social media post on Instagram after the Buccaneers game was totally unrelated to football.

"I really wasn't taking it too far into thinking about it," said Williams. "We are winning games and things like that. So, I could never get myself worked up with me getting a ball or me getting targeted or things like that. I know it's going to come. It's a long season. We are a team that can make it to the playoffs. I know things like that was going to come. Me and him (John Morton) talked on the field yesterday before practice, and we just got to understanding how we're going to move forward. And that's the best thing about it, I think."

Coming out of the bye week, Morton said that the Lions will be looking to get the fourth-year wideout more involved in the offense.

"I'm going to do a better job with that. But, there has been opportunities where it just didn't happen. You know what I'm saying? It's not like we ain't going to try to target him," said Morton. "So that's, that was the biggest thing. I looked at everything. I definitely, I failed him. That's what I told him. I have to do a better job with that. But, it's a two way street, you know what I'm saying? So we definitely looked at that."

While Williams hasn't outwardly voiced displeasure stemming from his lack of production, as a talented player it's understandable for him to want to contribute more.

Wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery noted that if Williams wasn't feeling any frustration, it would be a sign that he is okay with not producing.

“If he wasn’t a little bit ornery right now, it would just signal complacency to me. He hasn’t shown anything in the building or anything on the sideline, which, if we were in a different year, this probably would have happened four or five weeks ago,” Montgomery said.

“But I do think it speaks to his maturity. But he also understands that he is working and doing things the right way," Montgomery continued. "A lot of times, the way that you prepare gives you the confidence, and the way that you do not prepare sometimes creates anger when you don’t have the opportunities or situations don’t go the right way.”

Morton praised Williams for his work ethic and the way he has approached the start of the season, even with totals that aren't necessarily up to his standard.

"This guy, he's awesome. He doesn't say anything. He just goes and plays," said Morton. "Like I said, I wouldn't fault you if you're pissed at me, you know what I mean? Because I've coached that position. I played that position, you know what I mean? And I know he works too hard. But, you know, we got to make sure that we're going out and doing the right thing, the right techniques and this and that. It's not just him, it's everybody."

Montgomery understands the investment the team has made in the former first-round pick and is diligent in his efforts to get the most out of Williams.

“No middle ground, only a ceiling, man. We got to get to the ceiling. It’s one of those situations to where it’s one of the things that I studied," said Montgomery. "Where he is in progression, what happens when he is first, second, third progression, and it’s been all over the place, right? You know where progression started, and he’s open behind the first progression, or he’s second progression, and we don’t quite connect.

"Or we do everything right, offensive line, everything is right, and we don’t make a play down the field. So the combination of all those things, and collectively, we just got to get in more. He’s got to get more opportunities. We’re working on that and how you get those opportunities.”

Detroit's coaching staff has echoed the same sentiment regarding having to improve their execution on third-down.

“Third down production and what it means for receivers are more opportunities. What it means for backs are more opportunities, extending those drives,” Montgomery explained. “But third down opportunities, you know, giving them opportunities to be catch and run. A lot of those have been past the sticks. And as you go back and look at around the league, and you just go around and look back in the history of what we’ve done and some of the other places that we’ve kind of studied, a lot of guys now, it’s just a lot more catch and run."