Detroit Lions fans were concerned throughout the summer about whether John Morton was a good replacement for Ben Johnson as the team's offensive coordinator. Although coaching changes are the norm in the NFL, Johnson was a key reason why the Lions' attack has been among the league's best in recent years, and it didn't take long before the comparisons rolled in.
Fast forward to Sunday, and Morton gave Lions fans another offensive performance worth being frustrated about. The 56-year-old OC left plenty to be desired during the embarrassing 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, which is a game that saw Detroit go an abysmal 5-of-17 (29.4%) on third downs while generating only 27.7 total yards on 11 drives.
While there's plenty of time left in the season, it's becoming clear that Morton is doing more harm than good to the Lions' offense.
John Morton Frustrates in Lions' Loss vs. Vikings
The Lions have one of the best offensive talent pools in the NFL, yet Morton finds a way to fumble his riches. There's no reason why a team featuring the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Sam LaPorta should only be scoring seven or fewer points per quarter against a team like the Vikings, who had just allowed 65 points in back-to-back losses. It's inexcusable, if not downright embarrassing.
Morton's shortcomings continue with his failure to get struggling wideout Jameson Williams involved earlier in the game. Yes, Williams did finish the day with four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown on six targets; however, his 37-yard score didn't come until there were less than two minutes left in the game. Had it not been for that play, it would've been yet another disappointing outing for the 24-year-old playmaker after his Week 7 goose egg against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
What's even more frustrating is that Morton had plenty of time to prepare for the divisional showdown. The Lions hadn't played since Oct. 20 and were fresh from their bye, so there isn't an excuse for why the offense looked as flat as it did following 12 days between games.
Additionally, Sunday's defeat was the second pitiful performance that Morton has had against an NFC North rival this season. The Lions were held to 13 points and 246 total yards in the season-opening loss to the Green Bay Packers, and that trend can't continue if head coach Dan Campbell & Co. want to finish atop the division for the third straight season.
John Morton's Future Must Be Under Consideration
It's getting to the point where one has to wonder if Morton will survive the entire season in the Motor City. The last thing the Lions need is for their offense to still be a massive question mark come December, so it might be time for Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes to reconsider if Morton is the right man for the job.
The Lions' Week 10 challenge comes against the Washington Commanders, who are fairly banged up on the offensive side of the ball. Still, the loss to Minnesota just proved that teams don't need to score a ton of points to beat Detroit as long as Morton is guiding the offense.
Hopefully, the Lions' coaching staff takes a long look in the mirror after coming up short at U.S. Bank Stadium. Winning a Super Bowl won't be possible as long as the offense's potential is squandered, and any meaningful changes will start with how the Lions respond to Morton's latest disaster.