Lions Plan to Get Jameson Williams More Targets

The Lions are looking to rebound, after a tough road loss to the Panthers.

The Detroit Lions are down but not out, when it comes to their playoff chances.

The team missed a major opportunity to climb into the playoff picture, when it suffered a 37-23 defeat Saturday at the hands of the Carolina Panthers. Yet, the Lions are not finished, when it comes to their postseason hopes.

Speaking with local reporters Monday, following the loss to Carolina, Lions head coach Dan Campbell sounded confident in his team’s ability to bounce back from the setbacks.

“We know what it’s like to be down, we know what it’s like to be counted out when you don’t play well or you don’t play winning football, and we were able to get ourselves out of it,” said Campbell. “We just had a loss, we had a setback. That’s the thing, that’s what’s a little frustrating is, it does feel like a little bit of a setback. Losing is one thing, but when you lose that way, that’s a setback. 

“The good news is that we control our own destiny moving forward as it pertains to that, how we take care of that,” Campbell continued. “The way we come back into work on Wednesday and the way we’re gonna approach the week, we can clean every bit of that up. We’ve got the right group of guys in here, they’re prideful and they’re gonna put the best foot forward and we’re gonna be ready to go.”

Campbell took accountability for Saturday’s loss, but viewed it as an opportunity to grow. When the Lions went on their recent winning tear, Campbell said the team needed to experience the 1-6 start before it could get on the right track.

In the same vein, the head coach drew connections to the loss to Carolina. He painted it as a necessary experience.

“I think you have to look at it that way,” Campbell said. “Everything that can be perceived as a negative, you have to get something out of. If you don’t, then you’re really not growing and learning and making the most of the situation at hand. Look, it is what it is, it happened for a reason. We weren’t ready, which falls on me. I’m gonna have them ready this week, and so, it’s all about how we respond. That’s the beauty of it, everything is in our hands, how we want to handle this. So, we’ll be ready for this one.”

The second-year head coach admitted that he’s happy that the team will play at home for its upcoming game, adding that playing at home will re-energize the team.

Campbell also said the team plans to get rookie wide receiver Jameson Williams more targets. Through his first four games, the Alabama product has just one catch for 41 yards, and a touchdown on five targets.