The Detroit Lions have started the 2026 season a lot more consistently on offense than they did in 2025, and 31 points in back-to-back games will do a lot for hope moving forward this year.
Perhaps most optimistically, the Lions have done all of this without much output from Jameson Williams. Through two games, Williams has been unimpressive, putting up no touchdowns and 78 yards. He's also had some drops as well as a botched reverse play that have led to frustration.
In spite of that, the chance exists for a fast turnaround for Williams. The opportunities have been there to make plays, and he simply hasn't made them as of yet. That leads to the conclusion that he could soon be on the upswing, and heading for another personal breakout.
ESPN analyst Eric Woodyard identified Williams' struggles as a trend early in the season for the Lions to consider. In spite of the fact that it is a major surprise, Woodyard also conceded that his early struggles are more than likely a mirage rather than a real trend due to the fact that it's a long season.
"Coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, there were high expectations for Williams entering 2026 as WR2. However, Williams has just six receptions for 78 yards under first-year offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. Williams has been targeted 13 times and hasn't been able to make much of an impact through the first two weeks. But quarterback Jared Goff maintains faith in Williams, as the wide receiver should certainly get back on track. "I'm not worried about him in the slightest, and I got to be a little bit better for him too," Goff said after Detroit's Week 1 win."
While the New York Jets have been the NFL's stingiest defense early in 2026, it's safe to say they haven't seen an offense like Detroit's in the first two weeks of the season. The Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers don't have a bevy of weapons to stretch a defense like the Lions do.
Both the Titans and Packers have offenses that rate well below that of the Lions. For comparison, Detroit currently has a top 10 total offense. The Titans rank 31st in that category, and the Packers are rated18th in the league. Those aren't showing as fantastic units thus far.
Williams has the speed and home run ability to break out any given week. At this point, it just seems like a matter of time before he has the kind of big game that the Lions have become accustomed to with him catching passes.
Jared Goff hints that he wants to feed the ball to Williams more often
While Amon-Ra St. Brown has enjoyed a blazing start to the season, Williams has not seen his share of the action early. It hasn't exactly hurt the Detroit offense, but Goff understands that his team can be even more dangerous with everyone on the same page.
As he explained, it's not difficult to distribute the ball, because his receivers are focused on winning and are not purely ego-driven. In spite of that, he still wants to make sure he gets Williams more looks in the offense, in addition to Isaac TeSlaa.
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"For me, it's not hard. For Drew (Petzing), that's a challenge every week. I'm just trying to throw it to the open guy, and our guys know that. I'm lucky our guys don't have egos in that way. Of course they want the ball, (but) they just want to win. Winning is so much more important to those guys and that makes my job a whole lot easier. It's just throw it to the open guy. At the same time, certainly we want to get the ball to Jameson (Williams) more, get the ball to (Isaac) TeSlaa more, (Jahmyr) Gibbs will get his touches, but I think those guys have played well."
The challenge has been issued for Williams. When targeted, he must start to make the plays that matter. He's had over a week to ponder his early problems, and the bet is that he can begin to turn things around quickly. Another home game is the perfect opportunity to get it right.
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