Tag: NFL

Lions look to get Jameson Williams more involved in the offense

ALLEN PARK — Jameson Williams should play a larger role in the Detroit Lions offense. In the win over Tampa Bay, before the bye week, the wide receiver was targeted twice but had no catches. 

Actually he had one for 14 yards but it was negated by a questionable offensive pass interference penalty.

Scottie Montgomery, assistant head coach/wide receivers coach, called it a “great back shoulder catch” but then zipped his lips to prevent paying a penalty.

The way Williams handled it, showed his growing maturity level.

“I thought that was really going to frustrate him – it’s frustrating but it didn’t frustrate him to the point where he didn’t come back and have questions about what was going on and what we saw,’’ Montgomery said. “We have to get to the point where we’re not talking about potential we’re talking about more production and we’ll get there.’’

So far in seven games, Williams has 17 catches for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

The week before the Bucs’ win, in a loss at Kansas City, Williams had six catches on seven targets for 66 yards and a touchdown.

His most productive game yard-wise this season was two receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown in a win over Chicago. 

“We want to win the game, we want to score points and I think that’s the primary for everybody. But of course, yeah, we’d love to get (Williams) involved more, get him to rock in a million different ways,’’ quarterback Jared Goff said. “And he’s explosive – I know defenses are worried about him at all times and we need to find ways to continue to keep him involved.”

During the bye week, the coaches were studying film on how to get the most out of each player.

“It’s just one of those situations – it’s one of the things I studied where (Williams) is in the progression, what happens when he is first, second, third in the progression,’’ Montgomery said.

“It’s kinda been all over the place. Either the progression started and he’s open behind the first progression or he’s the second progression and we don’t quite connect. Or we do everything right — the O-line everything is right and we don’t make the play down the field’’

Montgomery said it’s a combination of all those things. They’re working to get Williams more opportunities.

It’s a process and it doesn’t start during game week.

“It starts the moment that you walk into a room as a coach, you’ve got certain standards for guys, you also have to create a level of understanding that is selfless but you also have to have a bit of a selfish nature to you,’’ Montgomery said. “Because receiver is one of the only jobs where everybody else has to do their job almost perfectly for you to get the opportunity and because you’re the punctuation mark or you’re the period or the question mark or the exclamation mark —  right there to finish the sentence you have to have a different level of confidence to be able to finish drives, to finish plays, and finish with the ball in the end zone. It’s something we started a long time ago.’’

UP NEXT: Vikings (3-4) at Lions (5-2), 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2 at Ford Field.

Browns’ defense is stellar, but they haven’t faced a run game like the Lions

RBs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs provide 1-2 punch

ALLEN PARK — Running against the Cleveland Browns defense has been problematic for the first three opponents. It’s why the Browns are rated tops in the NFL in rushing defense allowing just 57.3 rushing yards per game.

It should be interesting when the Lions (2-1) host the Browns (1-2) at Ford Field on Sunday.

“I don’t think they’ve seen a run game like ours yet,’’ Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said on Thursday.

Something will have to give because the Lions own the NFL’s fourth best rushing offense, averaging 149 yards per game. The Browns have given up an average of 57.3 rushing yards per game.

Running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 218 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.

 “They feed off each other, they’re both obviously incredibly hard-working and good players,’’ Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. “But I think the energy, they kind of feed off each other. One of them’s running well, the other guy wants to run well too and they’re as good as it gets.”

In his first season as Lions offensive coordinator, Morton is no stranger to Montgomery and Gibbs. He said he’s known they were special since the day they arrived in Detroit. 

“Really, I mean both of them. I saw D-Mo from across the field for years in Chicago and I was shocked when they let him walk. And then shoot, when we landed him it was like, ‘Holy smokes, we just got one of the best backs in the League,’’’ Morton said. “And then you draft Gibbs, it’s like, ‘Wow, we’ve got two of the best backs in the League.’’’

He agrees with Goff that they feed off each other. Of course, they do not do it alone.

In the Week 1 loss, the offensive line had communication issues. Gibbs and Montgomery combined for just 44 yards in the loss. Since the O-line has meshed and improved communication, the pair combined for 151 rushing yards and two rushing TDs in a win over Bears and 218 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns  in Baltimore.

They also benefit from blocking by the wide receivers and tight ends.

“It’s the best I’ve ever seen in my 28 years of coaching, the way these WRs block, the way Scottie (Montgomery, running backs coach) gets these guys to play. I don’t think there’s too many teams — the Rams with Cooper Kupp and those guys — they do the same thing,’’ Morton said.

“I always tell the wideouts, man, when the tight ends and the O-line and backs block for us, when the time comes our turn to block for them, we have to do the same thing,’’ Morton said. “That’s the beauty about this team. It’s so team oriented nobody cares about how many balls, this and that, it’s just about winning. When we do that we’re pretty good.’’

SUNDAY: Browns (1-2) at Lions (2-1), 1 p.m. at Ford Field. The game will be televised on FOX with Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma on the call.

Lions Dan Campbell cherishes a good challenge; calls schedule the ‘right kind of brutal’

ALLEN PARK — With the OTAs this week, the Detroit Lions are taking the next step toward the start of the season in September.

Coach Dan Campbell sees a few challenges ahead. One of them is the schedule which he calls “the right kind of brutal.”

While outsiders may look at the Lions’ game schedule and think maybe the team is headed for a season of disappointment, that is not the way Campbell sees it at all.

“I love the schedule we have this year, this is the type of schedule that builds you for the postseason. We’re going to get tested early and often and all year long and it’s freakin’ awesome. It’s really how you want it,’’ Campbell said on Friday prior to the on-field work. “We’ll be ready to go when the time is right.’’

That’s because his message, as usual, is there is no room for complacency.

“We’ve gotten to where we’ve gotten because we haven’t been complacent and we have gone and put the work in again and done all the little things you have to do to win games and win the division again. We have to do that all over again,’’ the coach said.

He said the challenge is why he loved this game and why the NFL is the best.
“Not only (games) here at home, our own division, go on the road, it’s awesome. To me, by the end of the year we ought to  be scarred up, scarred up and ready to, hardened for battle and ready for the playoffs,’’ Campbell said. “There’ll be nothing easy about it. Just to get through our own division is going to be brutal, but it’s the right kind of brutal.”

Another challenge is that he is working with two new coordinators – John Morton on offense and Kelvin Sheppard on defense. Plus new personnel and a few in new positions.

“We’ve got offensively and defensively staffwise either new coaches or in new positions or first time having the room — that’s 14 guys, that’s a lot,’’ Campbell said. 

He’s got to get everyone on the same page by making sure the coordinators want what they want and they also know what Campbell wants.

“This is the best time to do that, we’re working through the kinks which is awesome,’’ Campbell  “It’s only been two days but it’s been really good. Guys are in a good spot, good energy, thorough has been awesome.’’