ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Jamaal Williams, the Lions’ anime-loving, hip-gyrating backup running back, is known for being his authentic self at all times. It was like this in training camp, when he’d spend close to 30 minutes at the end of each practice signing autographs and interacting with fans as though they were close family friends. It was like this on Sunday, when he broke into his signature touchdown dance — reminiscent of a “Key and Peele” sketch — and was swiftly flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. When it comes to Williams, what you see is what you get.
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That certainly won’t change now, as he prepares to take on the role of RB1 for the next several weeks.
“I’m just gonna keep being me, man,” Williams said. “Just having fun with it and just trying to lead by example, how a vet should handle his job. I’m just trying to make sure I’m ready for my team, you know, keep myself healthy. Just ready to play, man. I’m just excited.”
Jamaal Williams is back in the end zone! 🙌 @jswaggdaddy
📺: #DETvsMIN on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/SIf6kbgsTi pic.twitter.com/XdAyQmCV4A— NFL (@NFL) September 25, 2022
While it’s not official yet, Williams has a chance to step into the lead back role for the Lions. This job, of course, is usually held by D’Andre Swift — a dynamic young back who has been slowed more by his own body than NFL defenses this season. Swift is averaging a league-high 8.6 yards per rush in 2022 and ranks eighth overall in rushing yards through three weeks. It’s possible he’d rank higher on the list, but he’s been limited to just 27 rush attempts, thanks to nagging injuries that have threatened his availability.
Swift left last Sunday’s game against the Vikings game briefly and was tended to on the sideline by team trainers. He’d already been dealing with a bad ankle, and he has since suffered a shoulder injury. That’s now two injuries for a running back who has yet to play a full season since the Lions made him a second-round draft pick in 2020. Coach Dan Campbell hinted at resting his young back through the team’s Week 6 bye, which would give him about a full month between games to heal and be ready for the final 12 games of the season.
If Swift is ultimately held out, the Lions like their options at RB. Starting with Williams.
“He’s been obviously tremendous for us,” quarterback Jared Goff said of Swift. “But we’ve got guys that we trust. Jamaal’s obviously first up and then Craig (Reynolds) and everyone else. But Swift is going to be fine and whenever he’s back we’ll be ready for him.”
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Trust is the key word there, and Williams has earned it from just about everyone in the locker room. He isn’t just an eclectic spirit or the class clown of this team. Think back to this past season of “Hard Knocks.” In one episode, when the Lions came out sluggish during a day of full pads, Campbell leaned on Williams to get his message across. What followed was an impassioned, emotional speech by the BYU product, calling on his teammates to be better, to dig deeper and push harder — all in an effort to rid the taste of the 2021 season.
You saw a lot of head nods during it. A lot of “we’re with yous” as he spoke. Those guys tend to listen to Williams. It’s the ultimate sign of trust.
GO DEEPERLions on 'Hard Knocks': Breakout star, feel-good moments and final thoughts“Real confident,” Campbell said of his running backs. Swift “didn’t get a lot of work last week. He got a little bit, but obviously he was a little banged up. So, we leaned on Jamaal and he did a hell of a job, and Craig will take a little bit more and so will (Lions RB Justin) Jackson. So, it’ll be by committee and we’re confident, very confident. (We) trust those guys.”
This is not a new situation Williams finds himself in. He’s a veteran back, now in his sixth NFL season and second with the Lions. His job definition is quite clear: provide power and a between-the-tackles runner, make the most of goal-line opportunities and step in as a starter if needed.
We’ve seen it play out that way over the last two seasons, and again Sunday. With Swift hobbled, Williams led all Lions running backs in snaps and carries and was on the field for 45 percent of the team’s offensive plays. He turned a team-high 22 touches into 107 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns versus Minnesota. Of his 87 rushing yards, 55 came after contact. On Monday, Pro Football Focus had Williams as its highest-graded running back in Week 3.
RB @jswaggdaddy graded out tops among all @NFL RBs (86.7) in Week 3⃣ per @PFF pic.twitter.com/Th889Us4Aw
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 28, 2022
It was a productive and effective day for Williams.
“I’m a bruiser,” Williams said. “I’m a bruiser at heart, but I can do a lot more than just bruise. I just know the more and more the game goes, the more I get excited. I just see a mentality of — the game is (winding) down, people are hurt, people are bruised, but for me, I just get more excited just because I know this is more of my time coming.”
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Williams is just part of the equation. As Campbell mentioned, we should expect to see more of Reynolds. Reynolds, the team’s No. 3 back and a “Hard Knocks” star himself, has been involved each of the last two weeks, seeing his snaps increase just about every game. It’s also possible we see more of Jackson, an experienced NFL back who stuck around on the practice squad after a strong preseason and has since been signed to the active roster.
The Lions (1-2) so far have been able to overcome a wave of injuries, while still performing as one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL. Detroit leads the league in yards per rush (5.9), ranks third in rushing yards per game (170.3) and third in rushing EPA. They might need to rely on the ground game even more, especially with pass catchers Josh Reynolds (ankle), Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle), DJ Chark (ankle) and T.J. Hockenson (foot) all appearing on the injury report Wednesday.
Wednesday’s practice report for the #Lions pic.twitter.com/xe9qXhOHjP
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) September 28, 2022
There’s a level of confidence in the run game that doesn’t waver, even as it potentially prepares for life without Swift for the foreseeable future. The Lions host the Seahawks on Sunday, then travel to Foxboro, Mass., to face the Patriots before the Week 6 bye.
“It’s part of the mentality of this team that they’ve instilled in us,” said Dan Skipper, a reserve tackle who has filled in at left guard the past two games. “You get the opportunity, you take advantage of it. I think pretty much everyone that’s had the opportunity has been giving everything they have and I don’t see this Sunday being any different, no matter who’s out there.”
“It’s a testament to our offense and our coaches and how much work we put in every day as a group,” Reynolds said. “The O-line’s doing a great job blocking their tails off and we’re just trying to do our part, run hard and continue to get better every day.”
The Lions have a golden opportunity to get back on track with a win against a Seahawks team that looks beatable. The best-case scenario could involve resting Swift, while coming away with a win without much of a drop-off in play offensively. In order to make it happen, they’ll need the run game to keep doing its thing.
Williams certainly plans to.
“Give me that opportunity,” Williams said. “It just shows that if you put me in the position, I’ll make sure I handle my job. You ain’t gotta never worry about me doing my job. Whatever my role is, I’m just gonna get it done and try to help the team.”
(Photo: Amy Lemus / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Colton Pouncy is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Lions. He previously covered Michigan State football and basketball for the company, and covered sports for The Tennessean in Nashville prior to joining The Athletic. Follow Colton on Twitter @colton_pouncy
