After weeks of turmoil, the Detroit Lions' offense finally broke out on offense in Week 10. The 44-22 win over the Washington Commanders was about more than just the score, as head coach Dan Campbell took over playcalling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton.
Many of the issues that had surrounded the Lions' offense were put to bed for at least one week. With the Lions’ success under Campbell, many believed that the change would be permanent. But Campbell surprised many on Monday when he suggested that Morton could call plays again by the end of this season.
The idea of the change being a breather for Morton is something that should concern Lions fans in the coming weeks. And if Campbell doesn’t see the danger in that, he got some clarity on Monday night when the Green Bay Packers struggled offensively in their 10-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Lions fans will probably take joy from the Packers’ misery, but Campbell should see it as a visit from the ghost of football’s future. Many of the issues the Lions have been having created a perfect storm in Green Bay on Monday night, and it could come back to haunt Detroit if they make a similar mistake by handing playcalling duties back to Morton.
Packers’ Conservative Play-Calling Exposes Same Flaws That Haunted the Lions
The most glaring error from the Packers’ loss was their conservative play-calling. The Packers opted for a run-oriented approach in their first game without tight end Tucker Kraft, but it robbed them of explosive plays downfield. Running back Josh Jacobs was the main beneficiary with 21 carries and Green Bay’s lone touchdown on the night, but he had just 74 rushing yards and 3.5 yards per carry.
Jacobs was also involved in one of the most pivotal plays of the night on a 4th and 1 with 1:30 to play. With Eagles defensive lineman Moro Ojomo calling out the exact play before the snap, Jacobs ran into danger and lost a fumble (h/t @NFL) that effectively tanked the Packers’ chances of winning the game.
Outside of being predictable and conservative, the playcalling had a trickle-down effect on the rest of the team. While Packers quarterback Jordan Love’s average depth of target of 9.3 yards was on par with his 8.8 career mark per Pro Football Focus, he had issues finding his receivers to make plays downfield. Some of this is on the receiver, including a drop by Christian Watson in the first quarter, but nobody in the receiver room had more than Watson’s 45 yards or Dontayvion Wicks’s four catches on Monday night.
With Kraft out for the season, the Packers didn’t seem to have an identity on offense, placing the heat squarely on LaFleur, who serves as Green Bay’s offensive playcaller. If you squinted hard enough, you could have seen Packer Green replaced by Honolulu Blue, as many of the same issues have troubled the Lions’ offense this season.
Top playmaker Amon-Ra St. Brown came out last week and noted the Lions' offense didn’t have much flow under Morton. The presence of Jameson Williams and David Montgomery felt like a Rubik’s Cube at times to Morton, who couldn’t figure out how to get either player involved at times. The offensive line stumbled as it adjusted to a new group, and it seemed like Morton was overwhelmed despite having a strong infrastructure in front of him.
This seems like a small detail, but these things can add up. Despite holding the Eagles to 10 points, the Packers still lost the game because they couldn’t get out of their own way on offense.
After racking up 546 yards of total offense in Sunday’s win, the Lions may have found a formula that unlocks their offense for the second half of the season. If they go back to Morton as playcaller, they may as well be flushing it down the drain and sliding into a reality that their division rivals are facing at the moment.