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Has Korey Williams had his chance as kickoff and punt returner (and bombed)? With Tim Brown back, we would have some help with the running game. I still think Brown is better between the tackles than Harris.

Two strikes on Williams, if he is lucky he gets a chance for a third strike, maybe not. One thing is that inserting Brown now may be the closest comparison to their ability that you are going to get. I think that Brown gets the nod this week, at least IMO he should.

Williams might be faster than Brown but Brown has a quick start and is very steady. Put him back in the line up.

Good punt returners should average 8 yds or more, while Kick returners should average 21 yds or higher. Williams' production has been abysmal, while Brown's one game was barely acceptable. That probably has more to do with poor blocking, as the opponents are right in the returner's face as soon as they touch the ball. Williams can't be as bad as those stats show, so I'd give him another game and hopefully the Lion blockers can give him more time to break loose.

2013
Punt Returns:
............. # - yds - avg - long
Brown.......4 - 33 - 8.3 - 23
Williams...15 - 56 - 3.7 - 14

Kick-off Returns:
............. # - yds - avg - long
Brown......6 - 103 - 17.2 - 30
Williams...6 -- 64 - 10.7 - 19

YES. YES and YES.

I don't think it matters who's returning........until the blocking gets fixed, the returner is not going anywhere.

Shi Zi Mi wrote:I don't think it matters who's returning........until the blocking gets fixed, the returner is not going anywhere.

Agreed. And that's a personnel issue. With more backup receivers dressed than linebackers and DBs, the Lions can't expect better special teams play.

Shi Zi Mi wrote:I don't think it matters who's returning........until the blocking gets fixed, the returner is not going anywhere.

I'm in that camp too. While I've been disappointed with Williams' production overall I can't say as I've noticed there being a whole lot of room or lanes for him to work with. For the most part Williams has avoided the "squirrel crossing the highway" method I've seen other young returners use where they double back once or twice and wind up losing 10 yards. As a receiver by trade Williams is taking that extra half second trying to find some daylight then things close in on him. Brown on the other hand returns kicks with a running back mentality which is why I've liked his performance. As soon as he catches the ball he's moving forward like an RB hitting the line. He may not be as fast or dynamic as I think Williams can be but his approach always seems to be good for 5 or 6 yards even when there isn't a lane to work with.

If Robert Jordan had 6 games or whatever number of games to showcase his skills, Williams should have the same. For what it's worth, Williams was not running east and west as much as he did against Toronto.

Hambone wrote:

Shi Zi Mi wrote:I don't think it matters who's returning........until the blocking gets fixed, the returner is not going anywhere.

I'm in that camp too. While I've been disappointed with Williams' production overall I can't say as I've noticed there being a whole lot of room or lanes for him to work with. For the most part Williams has avoided the "squirrel crossing the highway" method I've seen other young returners use where they double back once or twice and wind up losing 10 yards. As a receiver by trade Williams is taking that extra half second trying to find some daylight then things close in on him. Brown on the other hand returns kicks with a running back mentality which is why I've liked his performance. As soon as he catches the ball he's moving forward like an RB hitting the line. He may not be as fast or dynamic as I think Williams can be but his approach always seems to be good for 5 or 6 yards even when there isn't a lane to work with.

During the pre-season, Benevides really liked the way Williams took the time to look for the opening rather than just run up the backside of a blocker. I like that as well. Some of the best returners in CFL history were not particularly fast but had the ability to see where the hole/lane was going to open up, accelerate and hit it at the right moment (Paul Bennet in Wpg comes to mind). I see this ability in Williams plus burner speed.

The only problem.....there's no hole/lane opening up.......so until the blocking gets fixed, you may as well have Tim Brown who takes it up the field immediately and can power through tackles.

Hopefully, the blocking will get fixed and we will see Williams later in the season.

Williams has been terrible (and frightened)...its time to bring back Leon Bright...

Like most of you, I've been disappointed by Korey Williams methodology.. if that's the right term. Agree the holes haven't been huge but Williams seems to have no idea what he's doing and has doubled back and lost yards way more times (it seems?) than he's gained anything.
Noticed Benevides really in his ear after one particularly woeful effort last week against the Esks!!
And wasn't Tim Brown a special teams allstar last season???
Hope he's in the lineup Saturday night!! Cheers..

The return game was as ineffectual with Brown as it had been with Williams. Mind you, if the refs can't be bothered to enforce the no yards rule on punt returns, that ain't gonna help.

Shi Zi Mi wrote:I don't think it matters who's returning........until the blocking gets fixed, the returner is not going anywhere.

This.

Lions4ever wrote:The return game was as ineffectual with Brown as it had been with Williams. Mind you, if the refs can't be bothered to enforce the no yards rule on punt returns, that ain't gonna help.

Tim at least went north/south and got us SOME yards. Also, a couple of plays were no yards that weren't called and the Shaw had 3 MONSTER punts. I honestly think go with tim, make Korey watch from teh sidelines, learn some some more.