Jameson Williams Sparks Detroit Lions Offense Amid Drop Concerns
Over his past two appearances, wide receiver Jameson Williams has given the Detroit Lions’ offense a major lift by hauling in seven passes for 138 yards and four scores. Leading up to Detroit’s Week 8 NFC North showdown against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field, offensive coordinator Drew Petzing lauded Williams for his explosive abilities.
Yet, that dynamic production exists alongside a persistent challenge with consistency. Wide receiver Jameson Williams said this week if he was being honest, the grade he’d give himself for the start of his 2026 would be the lowest of his career so far. Pro Football Reference currently charges him with five drops this year, placing him in a tie with Packers tight end Tucker Kraft for the most in the NFL. Williams led the league with 12 drops last season, and on Thursday he noted that he is actively working to fix the problem since securing a few of those early-season passes would have translated into massive offensive gains for Detroit.
Chasing Greatness Past the Drops
“Just catching the ball and bringing it in,” Williams said. “It’s nothing major. It’s just drops. I have to catch the ball. That’s the main thing. My biggest thing is trying to minus those things so I can go just out there and just play free and not worry about dropping the ball. Just focus on doing my job the best I can do it.”
Over the past couple of years, Lions assistant head coach and receivers coach Scottie Montgomery has continually pushed Williams to extract maximum value from his talent. Montgomery sees another level Williams can get to if he can get past some of the drops.
“He’s doing some things that we really like to see, but we’re talking about greatness,” Montgomery said. “We’re not just chasing (good). He’s a good player. He’s a good player in this league. I’ve told him and you guys have heard, I want to be around the best and I think that he has the opportunity to do that if we do clean up some of the things that you’re talking about.”
Following a six-catch, 102-yard outing during the defeat against Carolina—his top performance of the campaign—Williams encountered another drop on a deep right-sideline pass that he blamed on losing the ball in the stadium lights. He had another drop in the fourth quarter of what ended up being a one-score loss for the Lions. Williams has 16 catches for 229 yards on the season, averaging 14.3 yards per reception in 2026 after averaging 16.7 yards over his first four seasons.
Rookie Progression on the Defensive Front
While the offense manages Williams' consistency, rookie edge rusher Derrick Moore has found a groove and gained confidence within Kelvin Sheppard's defense. Last Sunday marked his best game of the season, logging 20 snaps for the second game in a row after playing fewer than that combined over the prior two weeks. He earned his highest grade of the season from Pro Football Focus along with a tackle and a quarterback hurry.
Jameson Williams became just the 10th player in franchise history with consecutive multi-TD games. pic.twitter.com/H0cfLQSsOR
“Early on, it’s like, ‘I’m playing nine snaps, seven snaps. It’s like, ah.’ And I told him, ‘Just stick with it. Just trust the process here. You got the best in the league coaching you brother in (run game coordinator/defensive line coach) Kacy Rodgers, the best defensive line coach is in this building guys,” Sheppard said Thursday.
As the Lions prepare for Minnesota, the team also experienced full practice participation on Thursday, with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Tyleik Williams returning after missing Wednesday’s session.
