The Detroit Lions' biggest story heading into Week 1 is the changes in the coaching staff. Ben Johnson has taken over as the Chicago Bears' head coach, forcing the Lions to pivot in a different direction. It wasn't a surprise to see Dan Campbell make the wise decision and not attempt to recreate the magic Johnson had brought. It wasn't about finding the next young offensive mind, but bringing a level of continuity and understanding of what the Lions do best.
With this in mind, John Morton was the perfect hire after spending two seasons in Sean Payton's system. The veteran coach has been coaching in some capacity dating all the way back to 1998 as an offensive assistant with the Oakland Raiders. This path would lead to Detroit in the 2022 season with Morton serving as a senior offensive assistant. Setting up for Campbell to hire the new coordinator after Johnson's expected departure.
Lions Offensive Coordinator John Morton Must Get Offense off to Fast Start
Morton has the loaded responsibility of coming in and attempting to replace one of the best coordinators in recent league history. The creativity and ability to create space for his playmakers had Johnson landing his pick of head coaching jobs at the end of the 2024 season. With this in mind, Morton must come in understanding his role and the importance of a hot start.
Any offensive struggles or mistakes are going to be laid at the feet of the coach, whether or not this is accurate. The best way to avoid this is to get off to a quick start and put to bed the narratives of the Lions suffering offensive regression. So much of this is ignoring the obvious talent still in place and elite weapons who are going to make plays no matter who the OC is in the 2025 season.
Morton needs to take the pressure off early, getting the Lions a first-quarter score and being able to breathe a sigh of relief. The second piece of this puzzle is understanding that you don't have to compete with Johnson. Don't attempt to run the gadget or trick plays that ESPN loved to play on a loop while praising Detroit's staff.
As much fun as those plays were to watch, they aren't needed to take care of business. Even on the road in Green Bay, trick plays aren't what is going to determine the game, but winning consistently in the trenches and Jared Goff taking care of the football. If these two things happen, the Lions are starting out the season 1-0, and the buzz around Morton is going to drastically shift.
The flip side of this is the fact that if Morton gets off to a slow start or the offense struggles, it will be the OC getting the blame and attention for the failures. Johnson understandably could do no wrong, leaving unfair pressure on the coordinator to show Detroit's offense is still a force. Easily making it the most important storyline of a Week 1's divisional matchup.