Jared Goff wasn't perfect with the throw, but Jameson Williams has to make the catch.
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said he would classify Goff's incomplete pass to Williams on a key fourth-and-3 play in the fourth quarter of last week's loss to the Green Bay Packers as a drop.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGoff threw the ball behind Williams on a shallow crossing route, and the pass glanced of Williams' hands for a turnover on downs.
"Yeah, it hit his hands," Morton said. "Yeah, could it have been a better throw? Sure. Could he have caught the ball? Sure. And he’s caught those. And Jared’s made those throws. ... I coached wideouts, if it hits your hands, you catch the ball. And that was a fourth-down play, he’s probably going to score. It was man-to-man and (Tom Kennedy) killed a guy (with a block) on that same play."
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (1) is tackled by the Green Bay Packers during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2025.Williams set career-highs with seven catches for 144 yards against the Packers, but his drop was one of two failed conversions the Lions tried on fourth downs.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJahmyr Gibbs also was stopped for a 2-yard loss on a fourth-and-3 play earlier in the second half. The Packers scored a touchdown two plays later.
Morton said the Lions "had the right plays called" on fourth down, but said a lack of execution cost them on both plays and limited their success in the run game.
"It was execution, bottom line," Morton said. "I’ll say it again. Execution. That’s what it was."
Blame game
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said he was at fault for game management issues against the Packers that saw the Lions have 10 players on the field for one play and 12 on the field for another.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"That’s totally unacceptable and that starts with me," Sheppard said. "It’s not players, not an assistant coach, that starts with me."
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard watches a play against Green Bay Packers during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025.Packers running back Josh Jacobs ran for 13 yards on a third-and-1 play early in the first quarter when the Lions had just 10 men on the field to set up Green Bay's first touchdown. Sheppard said the missing player was supposed to be in the gap Jacobs ran through.
In the second quarter, the Lions were penalized for having 12 men in a defensive formation for a third-and-7 play in the red zone. The Packers picked up 2 yards on third-and-3 from the 4 after the penalty, and scored one play later on fourth down.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSheppard called the personnel issues "totally unacceptable" and said the penalty amounted to "a four-point swing" that hampered Lions coach Dan Campbell's ability to call the game.
"I put a lot of that loss on me as the defensive coordinator and on us as a defensive unit," Sheppard said. "Those things have been addressed, the players taking full accountability, it’s the reason I enjoy coaching this room so much. And we’re moving on to Dallas.”
In a blender
The Lions host the Dallas Cowboys this Thursday night in a big test for their secondary: Dallas has the NFL's top-ranked passing offense at 271.3 yards per game and one of the league's best receiver duos in George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb.
Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb makes a catch against Lions cornerback Cameron Sutton during the second half of the Lions' 20-19 loss at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023.Pickens, acquired in an offseason trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers, is second in the NFL with 1,142 yards receiving on 73 catches, and Lamb (51 catches, 744 yards in nine games) is on pace for his fifth straight 1,000-yard season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSheppard called Pickens and Lamb "two of the top in the league, the top of the top echelon," and said Dallas does what it can to maximize both players' abilities.
"They both run the whole route tree," Sheppard said. "The only thing I will say that’s really different is the physical nature in which George Pickens presents himself on the field. A huge, huge catch radius, very physical at the point of attack, wills himself open. Whereas CeeDee, he’ll sink them hips, he’ll come in and out of them, he’ll put you in a blender if you’re not right with your leverage if you don’t understand what you’re doing.
"They do a really good job keeping them apart as well. And what I mean by that is on opposite sides, which means you have to cover the whole field. You rarely see them together and that’s good. (Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer is) doing an outstanding job. They have some of the top personnel in the league."
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions offense hurt by execution vs Packers; Cowboys WRs a problem
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