Lions OC John Morton Says He 'Failed' Jameson Williams, 'I Have to Do a Better Job'

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton told reporters Thursday that he has "failed" wide receiver Jameson Williams, who's had a relatively quiet year (17 catches for 289 yards and two touchdowns on 30 targets in seven games) after a 1,000-yard campaign in 2024.

"I looked at everything, as far as that. I'm going to do a better job with that. But there has been opportunities where it just didn't happen," Morton said, per ESPN's Eric Woodyard. "It's not like we aren't going to try to target him. So that was the biggest thing.

"So I looked at everything, and I failed him. That's what I told him," Morton added. "I have to do a better job with that. But it's a two-way street. We definitely looked at that."

Morton is in his first season as the Lions' offensive coordinator after taking over for Ben Johnson, who left to be the Chicago Bears' head coach last January. The Lions' offense is faring well, scoring 30.7 points per game (third in the NFL). Detroit has notably scored 34 or more points in four of its seven games.

However, it's been an uneven season for Williams, who had 58 catches for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games last year on 91 targets. He's caught more than two passes in a game just twice this season.

Of late, Williams just had a catchless game on two targets in a 24-9 home win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 20. He also had just one catch for nine yards on Oct. 5 in a 37-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

In between, Williams was productive (6/66/1) in a 30-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, showcasing what he's capable of when given the chance.

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One day after the Bucs game, Williams posted the infamous "Crying Jordan" meme on an Instagram story.

For his part, though, Williams is being patient publicly and has expressed confidence that his number will be called more often, recalling his comments with Morton.

"He came to me and expressed to me how he felt, but with me, I really wasn't taking it too far into 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 or things like that," Williams said, per Woodyard. "I know it's gonna come. It's a long season."

Williams added: "I know my time coming. I know it's coming so I'm ready whenever it comes."

The thing about Williams is he doesn't need too many opportunities to make an impact. He has a penchant for breaking a game on one catch, as evidenced by an impressive 16.9 yards per reception.

Williams will get his next chance to make big plays on Sunday when his team hosts the Minnesota Vikings.