By Sunday 
The Lions’ trip to Philadelphia was rough enough on the scoreboard — but the aftermath has added a little sting to the wallet too. After Detroit’s 16–9 loss to the Eagles in Week 11, two key players found themselves on the NFL’s naughty list, all thanks to a celebration and a collision that drew the league’s attention.
A Celebration That Came at a Price
Jameson Williams gave Lions fans one of the few electric moments of the day when he took a crossing route from Jared Goff, hit the jets, and sliced straight across the field into the end zone. And then… he jumped onto the goalpost pad.
Fun? Yes.
Legal? Apparently not.
The league handed Williams a $14,491 fine for “use of prop” during his celebration — a rule that’s been consistently inconsistent in how it’s enforced, but hey, that’s the NFL.
To make matters worse, the 15-yard penalty pushed back the ensuing extra point, which kicker Jake Bates ended up missing. That one point loomed large in a tight, grind-it-out game. Williams later admitted he didn’t know the celebration was penalty-worthy. Pain.
Still, credit where it’s due: the young receiver led the Lions with 88 yards on four catches and has now scored in back-to-back weeks. After a slow start, he’s becoming exactly what Detroit hoped for — explosive, confident, and increasingly reliable.
Jared Goff couldn’t have been more complimentary.
“Everything he does has gotten better… anytime we get the ball out to him in space, good things happen.”
If Williams keeps trending upward, the Lions will gladly take the occasional overenthusiastic celebration — minus the fines.
Brian Branch’s Hit Draws NFL Scrutiny
Safety Brian Branch also received a fine, his totaling $11,159 for unnecessary roughness following a helmet-to-helmet hit. Branch has built a reputation as a “puts out fires everywhere” type of defender, but this time the physicality crossed the league’s line.
Detroit was already shorthanded in the secondary heading into the matchup, so losing Branch even momentarily in-game certainly didn’t help the defense’s momentum.
Goff, St. Brown Struggle to Connect
Aside from the fines, the Lions’ offense struggled all afternoon. Goff finished just 14-of-37, and his connection with Amon-Ra St. Brown — normally one of the most dependable duos in the NFC — fizzled for no obvious reason. St. Brown caught only two of his 12 targets.
Still, Goff brushed off concerns.
“No conversation. We’re good… I consider that an outlier.”
If there’s any pair Detroit fans shouldn’t worry about, it’s those two.
Next Up: Giants at Ford Field
The Lions return home Sunday to face the New York Giants, suiting up in their black uniforms for the second time this season. With a chance to rebound and get back on track, Detroit will hope the only penalties they deal with next week are the ones they cause — not the ones they commit.