'Next Play': Jameson Williams Addresses Drop in Preseason Opener

How the young wideout deals with mishaps early in his NFL career.

Jameson Williams has dealt with several hiccups to begin his NFL career with the Detroit Lions. 

Because he has been limited by injuries and now a suspension, he has been held back, in terms of on-field game reps, throughout the early stage of his career. 

The 2023 preseason offers a valuable opportunity for him to become acclimated with the speed of the NFL game. In the opener, he played 51 snaps, and was targeted seven times. 

Among those targets was a key drop in the second quarter, when he raced past rookie cornerback Deonte Banks. The ball hit him in stride, but he couldn't come down with it. 

In total, he caught two passes for 18 yards, in addition to an impressive one-handed grab on a two-point conversion.

Rather than dwell on the unfortunate drop, however, Williams is embracing an approach that emphasizes bouncing back and making the most of his next opportunity.

"Next play. That's only one play," Williams told reporters after practice. "You get about 70 plays in a game, if that. One play can't make your whole day, gotta bounce back, shake back. It's all about the next play. That's mostly what it is." 

The Alabama product missed all of training camp last season. Because his reps have been so limited, availability and improvement on a daily basis have become paramount. 

The coaching staff has put an emphasis on these practices leading up to the start of the season for his development. Making it feel game-like is atop the list of priorities for the young wideout.

As he enters a key season for his development, Williams has bought in. 

The receiver won't have an immediate impact on the Lions' season, but can play a big part in their success starting in Week 7.

The result is a motivation to make the most of the chances he has in the days leading up to the regular season.  

"I treat every game, I even treat practice like the regular season. I'm trying to go out there, run my full speed, make sure we get this down," the receiver stated. "I would say I treat it like the regular season for sure, because I'm out there. I've gotta miss a couple games, so, for sure, I've gotta go out there and give it my all, just to make sure I'm getting things right and on top of things."

Because the reps are finite at this stage, Williams is focused on using each day as an opportunity to grow and improve. 

"I just want to get better every day," Williams explained. "Today is Monday, tomorrow I'll be better than I was today. Come gameday, make plays and just win the game." 

Though there's been plenty of pressure and scrutiny on his development in his first two seasons, the receiver has tuned out the noise.

"I feel eyes on me, but it comes with everything, like being drafted high," Williams expressed. "I wouldn't say I want the eyes off me, because I want them on me. Eventually they'll be on me. So, I wouldn't say there's no pressure, man, I don't feel no pressure."