Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams took a costly penalty in the fourth quarter of the Lions’ 23-20 win over the Chicago Bears. Williams was shoved out of bounds after a catch and then flipped the ball at a player on the Bears sideline, earning him a 15-yard taunting penalty. The penalty proved costly as kicker Jake Bates missed a 45-yard field goal that would have put the Lions up 26-13 at the time.
The missed field goal sparked the Bears’ comeback, and they scored a touchdown on the ensuing possession. Lions head coach Dan Campbell was asked about the penalty after the game and said, “I’ll be honest with you, that’s already cleaned up. It’s already cleaned up. So we’re good and, as a matter of fact, Jamo got right in front of the team a minute ago, unsolicited, and wanted to apologize to his teammates. That’s big man, that’s growth, and it’s all good.”
Campbell hopes Williams’ apology will turn into no more taunting penalties, as the third-year wide receiver is a big part of the Lions’ high-octane offense. Williams has caught 34 passes for 630 yards and four touchdowns over 10 games this season.
But Williams has been involved in a number of incidents both on and off the field, including a traffic stop in October where a gun registered to him was found in a car he was riding in, and a two-game suspension this season for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy. He also served a four-game suspension last season for violating the league’s gambling policy.