Jameson Williams’ regular season is over, and the Detroit Lions are happy with the progress he’s made in Year 2.
Williams missed his third straight day of practice Friday with a sprained ankle and will not play in Sunday’s regular season finale against the Minnesota Vikings.
He has 24 catches for 354 yards in 12 games this season, and finished with back-to-back strong outings against the Dallas Cowboys (when he had a career-high 69 yards) and Vikings (when he caught a career-best five passes).
“It’s been great, and not just to see it happen in the games but just in practice over and over again,” Lions receivers coach Antwaan Randle El said. “And now when something happens in the games in terms of deep throws and just consistent play, his blocking, his catching, he’s in a good spot, so that’s part of that. Just continue to work at it, be consistent with it and it’s showing up.”
The No. 12 pick in the 2022 draft, Williams’ NFL career got off to a slow start as he missed most of last season while rehabbing from a college knee injury and the start of this year while serving a four-game suspension for gambling.
He’s struggled with drops and inconsistent route running at times, but has played a more prominent role in the receiver rotation in recent weeks.
He scored on a 19-yard reverse in an early-December win over the New Orleans Saints, had seven targets two weeks later in a win over the Denver Broncos and caught a key 63-yard bomb last week against the Cowboys in the fourth quarter.
While Williams should return for the Lions’ playoff opener next week, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said Donovan Peoples-Jones and rookie Antoine Green could share his reps Sunday.
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“DPJ has, over the course of the time that we acquired him, he’s gotten better each and every week,” Johnson said. “We’re very comfortable with where he’s at in the offense and his execution. Same thing with Antoine Green. If his number’s called, he’ll step up to the challenge and be in a great spot as well.”
Flu game
Williams and Benito Jones were among the regulars who missed time this week with the flu, and Lions coach Dan Campbell, through noticeable congestion, insisted Friday he feels “great” and is “on the backside of” dealing with the bug.
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