Player
Jamaal Williams
RB
Williams spent six seasons as a backup or depth back, with TD rates indistinguishable from a replacement-level RB. The 2022 DET system — short-yardage heavy, Hockenson blocking, red-zone volume — unlocked a hidden TD ceiling; without it, his career TD total would be unremarkable.
53% of his career rushing TDs came in a single season — 2022 DET — with just 1.86% TD rate across all other 7 seasons.
AnomalyWilliams: 2022 vs. rest of career (reg. season)
| Period | Carries | Rush TDs | TD Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 DET | 262 | 17 | 6.49% |
| All other 7 seasons (2017-21, 23-24) | 807 | 15 | 1.86% |
| Career total | 1,069 | 32 | 2.99% |
Why it matters. Williams spent six seasons as a backup or depth back, with TD rates indistinguishable from a replacement-level RB. The 2022 DET system — short-yardage heavy, Hockenson blocking, red-zone volume — unlocked a hidden TD ceiling; without it, his career TD total would be unremarkable.
2022 DET: 17 rushing TDs — led the entire NFL and broke the Lions' single-season franchise record.
MilestoneWilliams 2022 DET season (reg. season)
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Carries | 262 |
| Rush Yards | 1,066 |
| Rush TDs | 17 (NFL leader) |
| Pro Bowl | No (snub) |
| DET franchise TD record | Yes (broke 1934 mark) |
Why it matters. The Lions' 2022 offense was rebuilt under new OC Ben Johnson with a run-heavy short-yardage identity, funneling goal-line carries to Williams even as the team lost games — his TD total is as much a scheme artifact as individual excellence, which made the Pro Bowl snub especially glaring.
3 distinct stops: GB 4 yrs (Aaron Jones backup), DET 2 yrs (lead role), NO 2 yrs (depth).
TrendWilliams production by year (reg. season)
| Year | Tm | Yds | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | GB | 556 | 4 |
| 2018 | GB | 464 | 3 |
| 2019 | GB | 460 | 1 |
| 2020 | GB | 505 | 2 |
| 2021 | DET | 601 | 3 |
| 2022 | DET | 1,066 | 17 |
| 2023 | NO | 306 | 1 |
| 2024 | NO | 164 | 1 |
Rushing yards by year
| Season | Yards |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 556 |
| 2018 | 464 |
| 2019 | 460 |
| 2020 | 505 |
| 2021 | 601 |
| 2022 | 1066 |
| 2023 | 306 |
| 2024 | 164 |
Why it matters. The arc shows a RB who was consistently productive-but-limited as a backup for four GB years, exploded into the most TD-efficient season of his era given the lead role at DET, then returned to depth-back production at NO — a clean three-act narrative of role determining output.
As GB's backup (2017-2020), Williams caught 122 passes on 155 targets (78.7%) for 961 yards — a pass-catching profile disguised behind Aaron Jones.
SplitWilliams receiving: GB backup era (2017-2020, reg. season)
| Season | Targets | Rec | Catch% | Rec Yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 34 | 25 | 73.5% | 262 |
| 2018 | 41 | 27 | 65.9% | 210 |
| 2019 | 45 | 39 | 86.7% | 253 |
| 2020 | 35 | 31 | 88.6% | 236 |
| 4-yr GB total | 155 | 122 | 78.7% | 961 |
Why it matters. Williams' GB receiving volume (avg 38 targets/yr as a #2 RB) reveals that his identity was always as a versatile chess piece, not just a TD vulture; Detroit's 2022 scheme collapsed that versatility into a red-zone specialist, which maximized TDs but erased the pass-catching dimension entirely.
His 17 rush TDs in 2022 was the most by a Lions RB since Barry Sanders' 16 in 1991.
RareDET RB single-season rush TD highs
| Player | Year | TDs |
|---|---|---|
| Jamaal Williams | 2022 | 17 |
| Barry Sanders | 1991 | 16 |
| Billy Sims | 1980 | 13 |
| Dutch Clark | 1934 | 7 (record before) |
Why it matters. The Lions franchise TD record sat at 7 for 88 years precisely because Barry Sanders — arguably the greatest RB ever — never had a season that high in a Detroit uniform, which puts Williams' 17 in the context of a record that transcended one era and outlasted a Hall of Famer.
He never made a Pro Bowl — despite leading the NFL in rushing TDs in 2022.
AnomalyNFL rush TD leaders without a Pro Bowl that year
| Player | Year | TDs |
|---|---|---|
| Jamaal Williams | 2022 | 17 |
| Latavius Murray | 2017 | 8 (tied) |
| Mike Anderson | 2005 | 12 (tied) |
Why it matters. Pro Bowl voting weights yardage and receiving production alongside TDs — Williams' 1,066 rushing yards and only 12 receptions made him an outlier in a voting era where all-purpose value dominates, demonstrating how specialized TD scorers get systematically undervalued by popularity-based awards.
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