From Jameson Williams' first day in Detroit, Jared Goff has had his back. When Williams dropped the first pass Goff threw him last season, Goff quickly made it clear that he would keep looking Willams' way.
"Just come back the next play," Goff said at the time. "It’s not going to deter me from throwing him the ball. It never will. As long as he keeps getting himself open, I'm going to keep delivering him the ball and he’ll make those plays."
When Williams dropped a pass early in the Lions' win over the Texans this season, Goff went right back to him on the same route for a key first down on Detroit's first touchdown drive. And when Williams was too shallow on a deep route that led to a pick later in the game, Goff didn't hesitate to hit him for another big gain on another touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. Williams rewarded Goff's faith in the second case with maybe the best catch of his career.
Goff's assurance has meant a lot to Williams. So has the quarterback's poise under pressure. It's even changed Williams' demeanor on the field. Asked Thursday about Goff's calming effect in key moments, Williams said, "That's big. He taught me that, too."
"I used to drop the ball a lot, I used to just go out there and drop the ball and then drop my head. He told me, 'If I throw an interception or something, I can’t go drop my head. I gotta go to the next play.’ I think that just carries off and falls onto his other teammates and everybody looks at it as just like, next play, if something bad happens. He’s our leader, he’s our quarterback and we got a lot of faith in him," Williams said.
Williams has put in a lot of work, with Goff and others, to cure the drops that plagued him in the past. It's paid off this season. He's put just two balls on the ground. He has the lowest drop rate and highest catch rate of his career and a chance at his first 1,000-yard receiving season despite missing two games earlier in the year due to a suspension. Williams needs to average 72.5 yards over the final four games to get there.
On Sunday, Goff will lead the Lions into a potential Super Bowl preview against the Bills. It's not only a clash of two of the best teams in the NFL, but a matchup of two MVP-caliber quarterbacks. Goff is second in the league in passer rating (109.1), completion percentage (72.4%) and yards per attempt (8.6), all career-highs in his ninth NFL season. He's thrown 25 touchdowns to 10 picks (five of them in that win over the Texans).
Josh Allen leads the NFL in ESPN's Total Quarterback Rating, which takes into account factors like rushing plays and strength of opposing defenses. Allen has thrown 23 touchdowns to five picks, with nine more touchdowns on the ground.
On this matter, Williams has Goff's back. Asked about the MVP debate and the case for Goff, he said, "Just look at the stats. It’s there. 12-1 team. I don’t know how many yards he got, 25-plus touchdowns in three (straight years), I just think he’s a great player. He’s more the reason why we’re winning games, because he just takes control of the game."
"I just like my quarterback better," Williams added with a smile.
Who could blame him?