Lions OC John Morton says he's 'failed' Jameson Williams this season, vows to get WR more involved

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton played wide receiver at Western Michigan and then professionally as part of the CFL and the World League of American Football after bouncing around NFL practice squads. He's coached the position at the college and NFL levels.

He knows how much work goes into pass catching.

So he would have understood why one of his most highly paid wideouts would be frustrated with only 17 receptions through seven games of the season.

But Jameson Williams told reporters Thursday that he's not pressed about his limited touches on the heels of his first 1,000-yard receiving campaign and his three-year extension that's reportedly worth up to $83 million.

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"He came to me and expressed to me how he felt," Williams said in reference to Morton's conversation with the fourth-year wideout in between the Lions' break in games, according to ESPN.

"But with me, I really wasn't taking it too far into thinking about it. We [were] 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. I know it's gonna come. It's a long season."

The Lions improved to 5-2 with a 24-9 win over the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7. Williams, though, went catch-less in a game for the first time since the 2023 season.

Morton explained Thursday in his news conference that he poured into the Lions' first seven games of tape during the bye week, and he vowed to get Williams more involved and more open in an offense that's tied for fifth in the league in yards per play (5.9) and ranks third in the NFL in points per game (30.7).

"I looked at everything, as far as that," the first-year Detroit OC said. "I'm going to do a better job with that. But there has been opportunities where it just didn't happen. It's not like we ain't going to try to target him. So that was the biggest thing."

He added: "I definitely ... 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 been targeted 30 times this season, twice more than running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who has nine more receptions than Williams. That said, most of Gibbs' targets have come close to or behind the line of scrimmage, whereas, according to PFF, eight of Williams' targets have arrived at least 20 yards downfield.

Still, Williams' target share pales in comparison to that of fellow wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown. The three-time Pro Bowler has 50 grabs on 61 targets this season.

Plus, Williams has a mere three rushing attempts to his name. Last season, he piled up 11 totes and scored on the ground in the regular season and postseason.

"I know my time coming," Williams said Thursday, via ESPN. "I know it's coming, so I'm ready whenever it comes."