It was always going to be a difficult transition period for the Detroit Lions. Moving on from an offensive coordinator who has led the team to three straight top-five finishes in terms of offense during his three-year stint was never going to be easy.
Ben Johnson's departure was understandably one of the biggest storylines for Detroit this offseason, and the Week 1 offense under John Morton demonstrated why that was the case.
The best O in the league from a season ago looked like a shell of itself under Morton. Instead of the creative offense that adjusted on the fly and came up with innovative solutions, Lions fans saw a predictable game plan with disappointingly conservative calls. That's prompted concerns Detroit has gone backwards in Johnson's exit.
Lions Offense Off to a Horrendous Start Under John Morton in Week 1
The Lions failed to score a touchdown until 55 seconds left in the fourth quarter when the game was already way out of reach. Despite Jared Goff being accurate all game, completing 31 out of 39 passes, the offense only averaged 3.8 yards per play for a total of 246 yards. Only 44 rushing yards on 20 carries between David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs were deeply disappointing as the Packers' defensive line slowed down the dynamic duo without any trouble.
The most worrying part of it all was how unlike the Lions the offense looked in Morton's first game as the offensive coordinator. They were predictable on early downs, with a pass-run cadence to usually opening things, and that resulted in third downs being an utter disaster as Green Bay quickly caught on. Morton was also annoyingly set on running the ball when it wasn't working against the Packers' renewed defense line, leading to his unit playing from behind the sticks more often than not.
Instead, the Lions should have gone back to their default setting and gotten creative. This conservative style led to field goals when the team needed touchdowns against Green Bay. Playing it safe is not in Detroit's or Dan Campbell's DNA, and the sooner Morton realizes that, the quicker the Lions will get back to being the team they were last year.
While the lack of motion and creativity on offense was severely disappointing, this was just Week 1 against a very good, very motivated team. Unfortunately, life in the NFC North doesn't wait for any adjustment period. The Lions will face the Bears and the Ravens in the next two weeks.
Without significant improvement on the offensive side of the ball, Detroit will be facing an uphill battle.