Detroit Lions film review: A deep dive on Jameson Williams' 33 routes vs. Tampa Bay and why he's lacking targets
Allen Park — After a lengthy rehabilitation from a torn ACL to begin his career, as well as struggles with dropped passes and some off-field issues, Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams found his stride during his third season. In 2024, he showcased his big-play potential and delivered his first 1,000-yard campaign.
Still, the breakout felt like the tip of the iceberg given how Williams looked this offseason. He refined his routes, upgraded his bag of tricks, and his coaches and teammates raved about his offseason commitment.
Words can be misleading, but the franchise happily put its money where its mouth was, committing a three-year, $80 million extension to Williams on the eve of the season opener, tying the high-ceiling talent to Detroit through the 2029 season.
Since then, things haven’t gone as expected. Williams enters the bye having failed to record a catch in the team’s win over Tampa Bay. Opponents have now held him under 50 yards receiving in five of Detroit’s seven games.
During that same stretch, Williams only has one game with five or more receptions and one where he topped 100 yards. One of the league’s most-explosive weapons in the pass game a year ago, he’s caught just two passes of 40 or more yards, both in Week 2’s victory over Chicago.
In the five weeks since that flash, Williams has 11 receptions for 158 yards and one score, averages of 2.2 receptions and 31.6 yards per game.
Is it nitpicking to highlight Williams’ depressed production when Detroit continues to be a top-five scoring offense? Perhaps. But it’s worth noting that Week 2 performance was part of Detroit’s best offensive output of the season. When Williams is unlocked, the entire operation is more potent.
Is there cause for concern, or is this a sample size issue?
Let’s look at some important numbers to gain context before we dig into the film from Tampa Bay to understand why Williams finished without a grab on Monday night.
The statistical discussion centers around playing time, usage and opportunities. Williams is effectively averaging the same amount of snaps this season, compared to last, but the Lions offense is running 5.5 fewer plays and four fewer passes per game. That might not sound like a lot, but it’s a nearly 12% decrease. Additionally, Detroit’s 29.1 pass attempts per game are tied for 24th in the league.
Notably, pertaining to Williams, his targets are down almost 30%, from 6.1 to 4.3 per game. However, his target share has only dipped from 18.8% to 18.0%, further suggesting it’s a larger issue with the offense’s week-to-week flow.
Perhaps the most intriguing metric is the average depth of Williams’ targets. In 2024, it dipped to 11.2 yards. That hints at former coordinator Ben Johnson looking for opportunities within Williams’ limited-at-the-time route tree to get the receiver opportunities in space with a variety of quick throws to complement his deep-threat ability.
So far this season, the average depth of Williams’ targets has jumped to 17.0, suggesting a lack of variety in his usage.
OK, let’s flip on the tape from Tampa.