Tag: Jameson Williams

Lions Jameson Williams ready to go after serving 2-game suspension

ALLEN PARK — Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will not be working himself back into the game after serving a two-game NFL suspension for using performance enhancing drugs. He’ll be dropped back into action like he was never gone.

Williams will be on the field at the Houston Texans on Sunday night.

“Honestly, we’re throwing him back in there, he’s going,’’ coach Dan Campbell said, making a kicking motion from the podium. “Let’s go. We’re going to kick him out there with the offense and get him going. I expect him to be ready to roll.’’

Williams can’t wait. He watched both games he missed with his brother at his house.

“I was just thinking I can’t wait until I get back out there with the guys, I missed the guys and missed practicing, I didn’t have too much to do,’’ Williams said on Wednesday.

He was able to be at the practice facility, work out and attend meetings. But he couldn’t practice, travel or attend games.

“I was staying really close to my closest people. I’ve got closest people who checked on me a lot and made sure I was OK,’’ Williams said.

He has the unwavering support from Campbell.

“It means a lot, that’s my head coach. I’ve been through a lot playing under him. We’ve bumped heads in certain situations but now I see his faith in me and he understands what happened and things like that,’’ Williams said. “It’s big to me, him having faith in me and being along with me in those situations.’’

It was his second suspension in two years. The NFL also sat him down at the beginning of the 2023 season for gambling.

Like Campbell, his teammates have not given up on him.

“We’re a team, they’re my brothers. They knew what really was going on, they knew what really happened. It wasn’t looking at it from the outside in, like most people were,’’ Williams said. “When your brother’s down you have to pick them up just like I do for anybody else when they’re down. I’d say that’s the main thing, it’s the brotherhood.’’

In the first six games, the wide receiver had 17 catches for 361 yards (21.2 yards per catch) and three touchdowns. He also ran four times for 32 yards.

The Lions (7-1) won both games without him and remain atop the NFC North.

Lions Dan Campbell still has faith in WR Jameson Williams who could face another suspension

ALLEN PARK —  Lions coach Dan Campbell continues to stand behind wide receiver Jameson Williams who faces a possible third NFL suspension. 

“For me, I judge people over what’s in their heart. I know what this kid is made of and he’s worth hanging with and so he’s going to learn from this. He’s going to grow, he’ll be better for all of this,’’ Campbell said on Wednesday.

Williams is under a two-game suspension – he won’t play on Sunday at Green Bay – for violating the League’s drug policy. Now he faces possible suspension for gun-related charges.

The team released a statement on Tuesday: “Jameson made us aware immediately that he was a passenger in a routine traffic stop on October 8th. We discussed the incident with him and have kept the league informed of what we know. We understand he was released without incident or citation. It was now our understanding that the Detroit Police Department is revisiting the matter. Jameson has hired an attorney, and we will not be commenting further out of respect for the legal process.’’

Campbell said the details that Williams shared match up with the police account. The coach said he knows it doesn’t look good.

“I get that. But at the same token it kind of all came on here at the same time and it’s really decision-making for him. He knows he can be better, don’t put yourself in those situations,’’ Campbell said. “He’s going to learn from this, grow from it, we’ve talked about it. I still think there’s been a ton of growth out of this player.’’

Without Williams, the Lions (6-1) beat the Titans 52-14 on Sunday. So far this season Williams has 17 catches for 361 yards and three touchdowns.

“You’d rather not be dealing with it and you don’t want the players to deal with it, by the same token, I really do feel like for us and the players it’s a little bit of a non-issue,’’ Campbell said. “He’s not here, he’s in the building, he’s doing what he can but we didn’t have him last week. We’re prepared not to have him this week. That’s how we roll really no different than unfortunately a guy who’s injured. He’s not going to play, he’s going to be out. We’re about the guys who are going to play and getting them ready to go. We don’t bat an eye. How are those guys going to help us win the next game? I do feel that’s where we’re at as a team … I don’t feel like this is a big distraction.’’

Campbell said he will continue to coach him up and teach him, instilling in him that life is different in the NFL.

“You have to understand you’re looked at different and you’re viewed different. Anybody else out there something happens, nobody knows about it,’’ Campbell said. “They’re looking. Any little thing can turn into a huge thing. You have to do your best to stay out of those situations where something like this doesn’t come up.’’

Williams, a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, was suspended at the start of the 2023 season by the NFL for gambling.

Five things to watch as Lions return to Ford Field, face Titans

Also injury updates from both teams, prediction

Lions coach Dan Campbell is not taking the Tennessee Titans lightly. Sure they’re 1-5, but he has a four-word replay: “Look at the tape.”

The Titans visit Ford Field on Sunday looking to snap a two-game losing streak.

“It’s a dangerous team, they’ve got a lot of weapons across the board, it’s an outstanding defense. Yards wise it’s the No. 1 defense in the league,’’ Campbell said. “Outstanding on third down.’’

The Lions (5-1) seek to extend their win streak to five games and to stand alone atop the NFC North after the Vikings (5-2) lost to the Rams on Thursday night. They know they can’t overlook the Titans. Those who were with the Lions in 2021 certainly understand the situation.

“They’re still a really good team. I think back to when we were 1-6 in 2022. I think they’re going to come out hungry and ready to go, we have to be ready for them,’’ linebacker Alex Anzalone said. “We’ve been there, we know what it’s like in their shoes and what they’re still fighting for. This is the NFL and every team is really good in my opinion. They have talent all over the field. It’s just about them putting it together.’’
Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said the record don’t matter in the NFL.

“You can get your ass kicked at any given time and we understand that because we were in Tennessee’s shoes before. We were that team that we were out for blood every week, I know this team feels the same way,’’ Glenn said. “Listen, they have names, they have players, they have high draft picks that want to come out and establish dominance, but we have to do a really good job of just understanding what the task is at hand.’’

Five things to watch:

ONE: Jared Goff’s play in recent games has the Lions offense on fire. He’s put up amazing numbers with seven touchdowns and zero interceptions in the last three games. Still, he’s not cocky and certainly not overlooking the Titans. “I think this defense is as good as any defense we’ve played up to this point and we know that. I’m not just blowing smoke or anything,’’ Goff said. “I know their record doesn’t show that but it’s a good defense, they’re good at every level and we’ve got our work cut out for us for sure.”

TWO: The Titans offense led by quarterback Will Levis is dead last in the league in passing offense and 21st in rushing offense with Tony Pollard and Tylae Speers as the leading rushers. Levis has thrown at least one interception in every game. “I think they do a good job, their run game first and foremost. That’s the focus this week. They do a really good job of scheming up runs and we have to bring a certain mentality to this game to defend it that’s what sets everything else up for them,’’ Anzalone said. Worth noting that if Levis goes to the air it’s risky since Lions safety Brian Branch has three interceptions in the last two games.

THREE: Turnovers have been an issue for the Titans. The Titans have a dozen giveaways and just three takeaways. In comparison, the Lions have five giveaways and 11 takeaways. “You flip that just a little bit and they’re not sitting where they are,’’ Campbell said.

FOUR: Lions running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery seemingly set new records each week. Gibbs had the hot hand in the win at the Vikings, it could be Montgomery this week.  Each produced at least 70 scrimmage yards for the sixth-straight game to start the season. This is the longest streak of games where each member of a running back duo has logged 70 scrimmage yards since Saints RBs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara in 2017. It’s a two-headed monster that defenses haven’t found a way to stop with the Lions averaging 155.5 rushing yards per game. The Titans’ defense allows just 105.5 rushing yards per game so something has to give. Expect Gibbs and Montgomery to be ready.

FIVE: The Lions will be without WR Jameson Williams who has been suspended for two games by the NFL. While Williams had just one catch last week for minus-4 yards he’s a pivotal part of the offense. In his absence Kalif Raymond will fill in. “You know what you’re getting each and every day. He comes in with a great attitude and he’s willing to do whatever it takes. If you told him, ‘Hey, you’re going to have 10 snaps this week and they’re all run blocking,’ he’s going to attack that with a vigor, and he just loves playing football and being out on the field for his teammates,’’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “And so, when you combine that mentality along with – he’s got probably the best press releases on the team because of how small and shifty he is, guys can’t keep up with his quickness, he’s a threat in man-to-man, and then his run after catch is that of what you would expect from a punt returner. So, a very dynamic weapon, there were some games earlier in the year, didn’t feel like we were giving him enough opportunities, and so the last couple of weeks we’ve been able to get the ball in his hands and he’s taken it and ran with it.” Also look for WR Isaiah Williams to be brought up from the practice squad and possibly more reps for veteran WR Allen Robinson. 

LIONS INJURY UPDATE: DL Josh Paschal (illness) and G Christian Mahogany (illness) are out.

TITANS INJURY UPDATE: RB Tylae Spears (hamstring), LB Jerome Baker, T Jaelyn Duncan (hamstring), LB Cedric Gray (shoulder) and CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad) are out; CB Jarvis Brownlee (ankle) and QB Will Levis (right shoulder) are questionable. 

LIONS SATURDAY MOVES: OLB Al-Quadin Muhammad and TE Shane Zylstra elevated from practice squad.

PREDICTION: Lions 35, Titans 15