Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton and fourth-year wide receiver Jameson Williams had a chat before Tuesday's practice this week in which Morton apologized to Williams for not finding more ways to get Williams the ball through the first seven games of the season.
"He came to me and expressed to me how he felt," Williams said Thursday. "But with me, I really wasn't taking it too far thinking about it. We was winning games and things like that, so I can never get myself too worked up with me getting the ball or me getting targeted and things like that. I know it's going to come. It's a long season.
"Me and him talked on the field before practice and just got an understanding of how we're going to move forward and that's the best thing about it, I think."
Morton did a deep dive of the offensive operation through the first seven games during Detroit's Week 8 bye, and a couple things jumped out. He studied how Detroit can be better on third down moving forward – the Lions rank 22nd in third down percentage (37.7) – and how they can find ways to get the ball in the explosive Williams' hands more.
"There has been opportunities where it just didn't happen. It's not like we aren't going to try to target him," Morton said this week. "So, that was the biggest thing. So, I looked at everything, and I failed him. That's what I told him. I have to do a better job with that. But it's a two-way street. We definitely looked at that."
Williams has caught more than two passes in a game just twice this season and has 17 receptions on the year for 289 yards (17.0 avg.) with two touchdowns. Williams signed a three-year extension in September coming off his first 1,000-yard season (1,001) in 2024 with 58 receptions and seven touchdowns.
Despite the diminished targets and receptions, Williams has been a true pro's pro and a great teammate while still making an impact on the league's No. 3 scoring offense (30.7) by drawing double coverage away from other Lions pass catchers and continuing to be a plus blocker in the run game. Still, Morton said he needs to find more creative ways to get Williams the ball
While Williams, like any receiver, would like more targets and catches, he'll never let a lack of those impact his effort or play.
"I ain't frustrated at all, bro," he said. "How could I be frustrated? I'm me. I got catches. I would like more, but I'm never frustrated about that."
GIBBS VS. VIKINGS
Jahmyr Gibbs is coming off a career-high 218 scrimmage yards in Detroit's Week 7 win over Tampa Bay before last week's bye. Now Gibbs gets ready to face a Minnesota Vikings' defense that ranks 24th against the run (130.4) and has allowed Gibbs a couple big games the last two times these two have played.
In the Week 6 game in Minnesota last season Gibbs rushed 15 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns and caught four passes for 44 yards. In the Week 18 matchup in Detroit, he rushed 23 times for 139 yards and three touchdowns and caught five passes for 31 yards with another receiving touchdown. That's 38 carries for 255 yards (6.7 avg.) with five rushing touchdowns to go along with nine receptions for 75 yards and a receiving touchdown vs. the Vikings in 2024.
NO JOSEPH SUNDAY
All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph will likely miss a second straight game with a knee injury, Lions head coach Dan Campbell confirmed Friday. Joseph has been trying to manage and play through the injury all season, but it's gotten to a point where rest is the best course of action to get Joseph back to the All-Pro play the Lions are used to getting from him.
"He's going to need a little bit here," Campbell said of Joseph. "The negative is I don't think he's going to play (Sunday). The positive is he is getting better. It really is. It's just going to take a minute here."
The Lions do get safety Brian Brach back for Sunday's division matchup after he served a one-game suspension in Detroit's previous game vs. Tampa Bay. Thomas Harper, Erick Hallett and potentially Avonte Maddox (hamstring) are all very capable of stepping in and maintaining the standard at that position. Harper and Hallett were really good back there against the Bucs as Detroit played that game without Joseph and Branch.
EXTRA POINTS
- Campbell expects left tackle Taylor Decker to play Sunday. He also said cornerback Terrion Arnold is trending toward playing. Both were full participants in Thursday's practice.
- Veteran edge rusher Josh Paschal has been on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list all season with what Campbell said Friday was a back injury. "He is improving," Campbell said of Paschal. "We're trying to be smart and taking it as far as we can. He's got a few more things he needs to show us before we are ready to open the window for him to practice. I'm hopeful three weeks, somewhere in there, hopeful the end of November maybe early December."
