BYU football: Jamaal Williams gets first career NFL start

BYU football’s all-time leading rusher got his first career NFL start on Sunday. How did the Green Bay rookie fare against the Baltimore Ravens?

BYU football fans didn’t have a great Saturday, as the Cougars lost to UMass at home. On Sunday, there was a chance to take away some of the bitterness when Jamaal Williams got the start for Green Bay.

Certainly, there would have been more buzz if Aaron Rodgers wasn’t sidelined with a broken collarbone. Without him at the helm, the Packers offense has been lackluster and quick to stall.

But still, after injuries to Aaron Jones and Ty Montgomery, things opened up for BYU football’s all-time leading rusher. So how did the rookie play against a stout Baltimore Ravens defense?

Solid, but unspectacular.

Williams took 18 carries for 57 yards (3.2 yards per carry) – far outpacing Devante Mays in touches. But J-Swag Daddy’s long run went for just eight yards.

To add to the positive side of things, Williams was the second-leading receiver for Green Bay against Baltimore, catching four passes for 38 yards on six targets.

Unfortunately for Williams and the Packers, the Ravens shut them out (in Lambeau, no less), winning 23-0. It was Green Bay’s first shutout since 2006.

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Packers quarterback Brett Hundley threw three interceptions – two in Green Bay’s first two series.

Obviously, Williams would’ve wanted better results. But amassing 95 yards on 22 touches is nothing to scoff at.

In theory, Williams will continue to play a significant role in Green Bay’s offense for the next month or so as Jones continues to recover. Whether Williams continues to start or not will depend on Montgomery’s pain tolerance.

After re-injuring his ribs last week, Montgomery missed practice this week. Whether or not he’s available next Sunday will depend on how he’s feeling.

As always, we’ll keep an eye out for the news in Green Bay to see if Jamaal gets back-to-back starts.