Cincinnati Bengals – Page 2

Lions Jameson Williams, Jared Goff get back to work after missing on 6 of 8 targets

Jameson Williams’ maturity showed on Monday and Wednesday after an off day in the win over Cleveland on Sunday. He was targeted eight times and made just two catches for 40 yards. Certainly not a typical outing for the fourth-year wide receiver.

“I think that was probably the biggest growth we saw when he came in on Monday. You have to come in ready to be coached, and especially when you have a room where the coach is going to be direct, is going to hit the point, but also going to make sure we know the standard is set,’’ wide receivers/assistant head coach Scottie Montgomery said on Wednesday. “And we don’t walk past the standard because the moment you walk past the standard then it’s dropped and that’s the new standard. He understands that part of it.’’

Montgomery said Wiliams was focused on the details in Wednesday morning’s walk-through which would carry over into practice.

Coach Dan Campbell and Montgomery both mentioned that the Lions had one less practice day last week due to playing on Monday and back on Sunday. They didn’t want to use it as an excuse but it played a role in the connection issue.

Neither seems too concerned that it will be a lingering problem because they know Williams and Goff will work on it.

“There’s things I chalk it up to. We have to clean up some things. You can’t act like nothing happened,’’ Montgomery said. “You have to go out and see what the problem was, the issue was. There’s some things we’ll practice a little differently.’’

Goff said it was not a communication problem between him and Williams especially on the deep ball when Williams tried to turn around to catch it.

“I think I missed it a little bit outside. And I think if he was able to come up with that, it would have been him kind of saving my ass to some extent making that play,’’ Goff said. “And it’s one I know he would love to make, and I love him to make, and he can make that catch. It’s a hard catch, though, it’s a really hard catch. But yeah, I think it’s more so me putting the ball where I want to a little bit more inside on him, making that catch a little bit easier and I’m sure he can come up with it.”

Campbell and Montgomery are on the same page. Campbell said it’s just a few things here and there.

“Eyes back a little sooner, Goff just misses on one, he kind of gets hit on one when he’s trying to release the ball. We’re just a little bit off, and I go back to this, we go back to the drawing board,’’ Campbell said.

In the first three games Williams was targeted a dozen times and caught 8 for a total of 176 yards and a touchdown.

After a bit of a rough start in his career, he has trended upward each season.

“When I first got here I don’t know if Monday that would have been possible or today that would have been possible because it would’ve been more about ‘Did I perform at the level I wanted to perform at?’ Now it’s gotten to the point where he’s ‘OK, did I perform at the level I want to perform at? OK, why not and how do I get it fixed.’

“That’s the maturation process that we hoped and we saw. It’s also good to have people in your room to pull you along – whether it’s (David Montgomery) or (Amon-Ra St. Brown) – to pull you along and let you know everybody’s had those,’’ Scottie Montgomery said. “It’s very similar to a back putting the ball on the ground and having to come back after putting the ball on the ground. It’s the growth that happens between the time that you put the ball on the ground and when you go back in.’’

UP NEXT: Lions (3-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-2), 4:25 p.m. on Sunday.

Detroit Lions bolster defensive line signing free agent D.J. Reader

ALLEN PARK — Veteran defensive tackle D.J. Reader has agreed to a two-year deal with the Detroit Lions which is worth up to $27.5 million.

“The energy as soon as I got here today was amazing. I was super happy, saw some familiar faces, that was a really good feel. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be,’’ Reader said during a Thursday night press conference.

Reader, who turns 30 in July, was on the radar visited the Lions on Thursday. He fills a huge need on the defensive line, a point of emphasis for the offseason needs.

“The physicality of it, that’s the best part, the best part (of the defensive line),’’ Reader said.

It’s expected he’ll play alongside Alim McNeil forming a powerhouse duo.

“I’m super excited, he’s a young player who has a lot of talent. He’s also a Carolina guy, I’m super happy about that. I love the guys from Carolina. I feel we have the best athletes in the country, you can quote that one. I’m excited to pair with him, seeing things he does well, I watch him all the time on film. I’m excited to pick his brain about what he likes about the position,’’ Readed said.

Reader, whose nickname is BBQ, spent the last four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and helped them reach two straight AFC Championships and Super Bowl LVI.

“Things happen, sometimes things don’t work out in a relationship and you have to move on. The Lions are a better opportunity and I’m really, really excited about it,’’ Reader said.

Last season he played and started in 14 games last season with one sack, 34 tackles, a pass defense and a fumble recovery. He missed the end of the season after tearing a quad tendon.

He said while rehab is not a walk in the park, it’s coming along and expects to be ready to start the season.

The 6-foot-3, 335-pound defensive tackle was a fifth-round draft pick out of Clemson in 2016 by the Houston Texans and spent his first four seasons there before moving to Cincinnati.

He’s the fourth key defensive addition this offseason including two cornerbacks, Carlton Davis III and Amik Robertson; and edge rusher Marcus Davenport.

Dan Campbell had no tears to shed after the Lions’ 34-11 loss to the Bengals on Sunday at Ford Field. Instead he was angry, frustrated and everything in-between.

The targets? Everyone including himself.

His first words when he took the postgame podium: “We got whipped, that was brutal.’’

This Lions coach did not sugarcoat.

“We didn’t do anything right. (I) thought we played a little defense early in the first half other than the shot play we gave up, but we were in it. We couldn’t sustain,’’ Campbell said. “Offensively we had no rhythm, we had no tempo, we couldn’t execute on third down, missed opportunities and that’s the story of the game. That was a beatdown.’’

Five things to know about the beatdown:

Jared Goff is an easy target. He missed wide-open receivers and most of the yardage came late with the Bengals in prevent Cover-2. He was 28 of 42 for 202 yards and one interception. Like everyone on offense he had a brutally bad day. Yet Campbell said at no time did he ever think about pulling Goff for backup David Blough. “I will say this, I still don’t feel like we can accurately judge (Goff) one way or another. I don’t feel that way yet. I will say this, I feel like he needs to step up more than he has. I think he needs to help us, just like everybody else,’’ Campbell said. “He’s going to need to put a little weight on his shoulders and stand up and do some things but he needs help. I told him out there, he knows this. Some of that stuff we’re getting these holding calls because he’s drifting back in the pocket 10 feet deep …. I’m want to see him step up. I do it because I think he can do it.’’ Campbell also mentioned that the wide receivers need to know where and when to be in the right position

2. The defense played well in the first half, just giving up 10 points. But appeared to be just bystanders during the second half. Campbell said if the offense is going to struggle the defense has to step up. “If that’s the way it’s going, the defense can’t allow the opponent to score then, so be it. That’s life. If you’re the ones who are playing best, you’ve got to hold them and keep us in the game,’’ Campbell said. “Keep it to where we can score maybe one score and find a way to win the game. It’s not good.’’ Cornerback Amani Oruwariye intercepted Joe Burrow for his third pick in the last four games. “We’ve got to find a way to get a win, play our best football we can do. I still don’t think we’ve played our best football yet,’’ Oruwariye said.

3. Running backs Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift had been fine in the first five losses, but couldn’t get it going against the Bengals defense even in the first half when they were only down 10-0 at the half. It’s not all on them, the makeshift offensive line (due to injuries) has to do its part too. Swift had 13 carries for 24 yards and a touchdown, along with 5 catches for 43 yards.

4. Penalties were a killer — 9 for 77 yards. The offense opened the game with back-to-back penalties — illegal formation and false start — on their first drive. This is one area that is definitely fixable but they’ve got to focus on it

5. Coaching is indeed at least in part to blame for the 0-6 record. “The focus wasn’t there. I told the team this I’m going to look at everything, that’s my job. But when you get whipped like that, that’s on me there is no way around that,’’ Campbell said. “Of course we’ll look at everything that’s a reflection on me. You don’t play like that. We don’t have a team – that team isn’t 30-something points better than us, there’s no way,’’ Campbell said. “We shot ourselves in the foot, we could not execute. We had some plays that were there to make, we didn’t make them. It’s brutal, it’s on me.’’

UP NEXT: Lions (0-6) at Los Angeles Rams (5-1). It will be a reunion with Matthew Stafford who will likely be the one walking away with a smile. The Rams defeated the Giants, 38-11, on Sunday.

THIS AND THAT: Fumbles were an issue last week, against the Bengals the Lions did not fumble. … Jack Fox punted six times and averaged 55.5 yards per punt with a long of 64 yards. … Tight end T.J. Hockenson caught 8 passes for 74 yards. … In the first half the Lions had 51 yards of offense and just four first downs. They finished with 15 first downs but only because of garbage time in the fourth when there was no way they could come back. … The Lions were 5-14 (35.7%) on third downs and 1-2 on fourth-down attempts. … The Bengals finished with 398 net yards while Detroit had 228. … Cincinnati won the time-of-possession battle with 35:52 to 24:08. … Julian Owkara had his first NFL sack and Austin Bryant also sacked Joe Burrow. … Derrick Barnes led all defensmen with 8 tackles.