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Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams not reliving feud with Chicago Bears' Tyrique Stevenson
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- Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams not reliving feud with Chicago Bears' Tyrique Stevenson
Jameson Williams is not interested in reliving his costly penalty from Detroit Lions ' previous matchup against the Chicago Bears .
Early in the fourth quarter of a 23-20 win over the Bears on Thanksgiving, with the Lions up 23-13, Williams drew a drive-killing taunting penalty. He hauled in a 3-yard catch along the sideline to get the Lions offense inside the Bears' 30-yard line, but as he was coming back to the field, he tossed the ball into the face of Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenston to draw a taunting penalty.
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"I'm just looking forward to getting back on track and we win," Williams said in response to the Stevenson question.
The Lions face the Bears again at 1 p.m. Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (9) makes a catch against Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (29) during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024.
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He did not address the incident again on Thursday, but his position coach, Antwaan Randle El, made it clear that it has been a point of emphasis for the last two weeks. Randle El scolded Williams live on the sideline, which became a meme that got back to the wide receivers coach's desk.
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"Of course I saw it, everybody sent it to me," Randle El said on Wednesday. "And then the message (to him) is, you can't, you just can't do that. That was the message, and don't ever do it again."
Broadcast video of the exchange between Williams and Stevenson appeared to show Stevenson sticking a leg out and tripping Williams, causing him to fall on the sideline. After getting up, Williams jogged back to the field and tossed the ball at his face.
Randle El said it doesn't matter if Williams was tripped or not, restraint is always required on the field, especially as players try to get under his skin.
"It doesn't change," Randle El said. "You have guys in the league that do that and it gets under your skin if you let it get under your skin. They normally get the guy who reacts the second time and so that's what happened to Jamo."
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The Lions held on to win, and Williams directly addressed the team and apologized for the costly penalty in the locker room. The NFL took further action, fining Stevenson $19,697 for the trip. Williams was not fined.
Since the incident with Stevenson, Williams has recorded eight catches for 117 yards and a touchdown over the past two games and has not been penalized. He has not been used in the running game after having three straight games with at least one carry through Thanksgiving.
Williams said the only focus this weekend was for the team to get back in the win column and avoid back-to-back losses since the first half of the 2022 season.
"It's hard to win NFL games no matter what team is in front of you, what coaches are on the other sideline," Williams said. "So we just trying to make it big for us to bounce back and get back on our winning track."
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Ben Johnson's play calls are 'like playing Madden'
Williams has all the belief in the world that offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is ready for his own head coaching gig if the opportunity presents itself.
Earlier on Thursday, Johnson said he still has a "burning desire" to be a head coach when the right opportunity presents itself . Johnson has interviewed for open positions the last two offseasons but opted to stick in Detroit .
"He would be a great head coach," Williams said. I think he's a mastermind on the offensive side of the ball and I'm pretty sure he'll find somebody to take care of the defense. Defense wins championships but offense wins championships too — points win."
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Williams declined to go into elaborate detail when asked what specifically about Johnson made him a "mastermind" on offense. He did say Johnson has been a great teacher on the sidelines and that his play calls have resembled playing a video game at times.
"I couldn't even tell you that, I'd probably give away the sauce," Williams said grinning. "He's real smart with the game. I talk to him a lot on the side when we're not on offense and he just breaks down some things to me. And some things, like, I never knew playing the game but it's different.
"...Once they get a feel for the game and understand the game very well, it becomes easy. You know what to call against certain defenses. It''s kind of like playing 'Madden.' "
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press . Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22 , and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jameson Williams downplays penalty from first Lions game vs. Bears
