The Detroit Lions took a giant leap in the right direction during last week's victory over the Washington Commanders. Several players that had been dormant for weeks, including running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wideout Jameson Williams, had big games, and it came back to head coach Dan Campbell’s decision to take over play-calling duties for offensive coordinator John Morton.
Morton has been embattled for most of the season as he’s tried to find the same formula that made ex-OC Ben Johnson successful in Detroit one year ago. But while Morton declined to reveal what the conversation with Campbell was like to make the decision, he took a major step in the right direction to help improve the Lions' outlook on Thursday morning.
“I’m not going to say exactly how it went down, because that’s private. But I fully support it,” Morton said via ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “Listen, man, I’ve been doing this for a while. I’ve been with head coaches that are offensive guys, play-callers. So I’m used to that. You know, I feel very prideful of (the) things that I was doing. There’s some things that I’ve got to learn, no doubt, just like everybody else. But listen, I want to do whatever it takes to win. I mean, as soon as (Campbell said it), I’m like ‘Alright, let’s go do what we’ve got to do.’ That’s the way I’ve always been in this business.”
John Morton Sounds Willing to Do Whatever It Takes to Help Lions Win
Morton’s comments are the best-case scenario for Campbell’s decision to take over play-calling. After failing in his lone stint with the New York Jets in 2017, ranking 24th in scoring and 28th in total offense, Morton was faring much better statistically in Detroit, with the Lions ranking second in points and sixth in total offense after Sunday’s win.
Although the Lions didn’t appear to be missing a beat in the box score, there were other issues at risk of boiling over. Williams had been conspicuously absent throughout the season but erupted for six catches for 119 yards and a touchdown on Sunday afternoon. Gibbs also thrived under Campbell, winning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after being subjected to 15 pass-blocking snaps in the previous week’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Lions also went 5-for-10 on third down conversions in the victory after entering Week 10 with a 36.3% conversion rate on the season. The extended drive helped Detroit rack up a season-high 546 yards of total offense and perhaps drove the point home that ceding play-calling duties was what Morton needed to do to help the team.
“I’ve been cut six times. I’ve been fired. Man, you just march because it’s always about the team,” Morton continued. “It ain’t about me, goals and this and that. No, the ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl. So I didn’t even blink twice because I know my role here. And the only thing that’s changed is he’s calling (plays) on game day. I’m still doing everything else the same.”
If Morton does what he did behind the scenes on Sunday, it could signal that play-calling is the one thing that’s holding him and the Lions back. If he uses the demotion as a learning opportunity, Morton could regain the trust of Campbell and could be back to his old role as Detroit's HC suggested during his Monday press conference.
Lions fans would like to see a bigger sample size before that happens, but Morton didn’t slam the door on himself. Instead, he gave the perfect response that the Motor City needed to hear, giving hope that it's only up from here for Detroit's offense.