If you’re wondering why the Detroit Lions haven’t been bombing away downfield as often as expected, Jared Goff has an explanation.

And Jameson Williams is a big part of it.

Following Detroit’s 31-24 win over the New York Jets, Goff explained that opposing defenses have repeatedly played the Lions with significant depth, attempting to prevent Williams from getting behind them.

The result has been fewer opportunities for Goff to attack vertically. But it has also created openings elsewhere for an offense featuring Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and an emerging Isaac TeSlaa.

Goff isn’t interested in forcing the issue.

“I think I’ve done a good job of being disciplined and not getting frustrated, I guess, with the lack of deep throws,” Goff said. “And it’s not that we’re not calling them. It’s just that they’re playing with so much depth.”

That may not produce as many Goff-to-Jamo fireworks.

But if defenses want to keep giving Detroit everything underneath?

Goff seems perfectly willing to take it.

Jameson Williams Is Affecting Lions Without Getting the Football

Williams’ impact on Detroit’s offense cannot always be measured by his receiving numbers.

Sometimes, simply sending him downfield is enough.

Goff provided a perfect example while discussing a completion to TeSlaa against New York. The Lions had run the concept previously, and the Jets were well aware of the threat Williams presented vertically.

“Again, I’m saying this for the third week in a row: teams are playing us with so much depth, and understandably so because of Jamo, that sometimes the intermediate stuff becomes a little bit more open, and obviously the stuff underneath,” Goff said.

On that particular play, Williams did exactly what Detroit needed without touching the football.

“That was one where the safety got out of there with Jamo and we hit TeSlaa underneath,” Goff explained.

It’s an important part of Williams’ development into a major piece of Detroit’s passing attack. A receiver with his speed can influence a defense before Goff ever considers throwing him the football.

And that creates quite the choice for opposing defensive coordinators.

Defenses Are Picking Their Poison Against Detroit

Play aggressively near the line of scrimmage and Williams can run past you.

Back off to prevent that from happening and suddenly Goff has room to work underneath.

That becomes particularly dangerous when Jahmyr Gibbs is involved. Goff explained that defenses are simultaneously trying to account for Williams and St. Brown while making sure they don’t give Gibbs too much room underneath.

“You want to get depth to take away Jamo and Saint, but then you don’t want to leave too much space because if they get it to him underneath, he can turn that into a big play,” Goff said.

“So, yeah, it makes it hard on defenses.”

That versatility was evident against New York, when Detroit used Gibbs in multiple ways and continued forcing the Jets to defend every level of the field.

It also explains why Goff has been willing to live with the checkdown.

There is a difference between being conservative and throwing where the defense tells you to throw.

Right now, Goff is choosing the latter.

Jared Goff Refuses to Force the Deep Ball

Quarterbacks love explosive plays. Fans love them even more.

But Goff knows exactly what can happen when a quarterback becomes impatient against a defense designed to prevent those throws.

So rather than deciding before the snap that Williams needs a deep target, Goff has remained willing to work through his reads and take what is available.

“It’s my job to not get frustrated, stay within myself and take the checkdowns,” Goff said. “And I have, and it’s been good.”

The numbers back up the efficiency part of that equation. Against the Jets, Goff completed 25 of 32 passes for 269 yards as Detroit moved to 2-1, according to the official game statistics.

And there is another way to attack defenses determined to keep their safeties deep.

Run the football.

Asked what Detroit can do to force opponents out of those defensive shells, Goff didn’t need a dissertation.

“Run the ball well,” he said.

Detroit has enough weapons to make that a rather unpleasant proposition.

Goff Believes the Deep Shot Is Coming

The interesting part is that Goff isn’t suggesting the Lions have given up on attacking downfield.

Quite the opposite.

“It’s not that we’re not calling them,” he said.

That distinction matters.

Detroit can still dial up vertical opportunities for Williams. But if a safety stays deep enough to eliminate the shot, Goff isn’t going to throw the ball into trouble just to prove the Lions can go deep.

He’ll hand it off. He’ll find Gibbs underneath. He’ll work St. Brown into available space. Or, as Detroit showed against New York, he’ll let Williams clear out a defender and find TeSlaa behind him.

It is another example of how Williams’ value can extend far beyond the box score.

Eventually, though, a defense will creep forward.

A safety will hesitate.

Or Williams will get the matchup Detroit wants.

Goff already knows what happens next.

“We’ll eventually hit one over the top and feel really good about it.”

Consider yourself warned.