ALLEN PARK -- John Morton has made it clear he’s not looking to reinvent the wheel in his first season as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator.
And that includes the aggressive nature of going for it on fourth down, mixing in trick plays and whatever else Lions coach Dan Campbell wants to roll with. That should be music to the ears of fans far and wide, with Morton taking over an offense that has ranked top five in scoring for three straight years.
When MLive asked Morton about how his view on aggressive play-calling meshes with Campbell or how it’s evolved since landing in Detroit, and he doubled down on his past comments.
“We’re going to continue to do those things,” Morton said on Thursday. “I have to learn how they want to do certain things in certain situations. So that’s not going to change. I mean, I like it. If it feels good, let’s do it. I mean, like I’ve said this before, we’re going to do whatever it takes to win the game.”
Morton has made it clear he’s going to do whatever Campbell wants to do in those situations. Judging by what we know from four years of experience, the Lions are going to roll the dice on fourth down and find opportunities to flip the possession battle through trick plays and creative play-calling.
“We’re going to have everything, so we’re going to continue to do those things, because it has worked,” Morton previously said when asked about continuing the aggressions and trick plays.
“We’re going to run things – whatever was working, we’re going to continue to do that.”
Last year, the Lions went for it on fourth down 33 times, converting on 22 of those attempts, the seventh-highest rate (66.7%). They ranked third in successful fourth-down plays, despite having five fewer attempts and 11 fewer attempts than the two teams in front of them. To send the point home on how this is part of their identity, 21 of those fourth-down attempts came against playoff teams in 2024.
In the previous three seasons before last year under Campbell, the Lions ranked second, third and second regarding successful fourth-down conversions.
For opposing coaches, the battle starts on third down, with Detroit unafraid of running the ball to make life easier on fourth down. The Lions ran 60 times on third down last season, the ninth-highest rate, getting 4.1 yards per rush and moving the chains nearly 60% of the time, per TruMedia.
“It’s been a challenge because they’ve been willing to run the football in those situations in the past,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said this week. “And I mean, obviously, with Johnny Morton, new coordinator, but I wouldn’t expect it to be too different.
“I just think you got to be ready to defend all four downs, and third down, sometimes you got to treat it like second down, depending upon the situation.”
Morton is also doing his best to isolate the team’s playmakers and to take more downfield shots. And with Jameson Williams fresh off his first 1,000-yard season, ranking as the league’s top deep threat with at least 40 receptions, that makes a ton of sense.
The offensive coordinator also has two-time All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown, tight end Sam LaPorta, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, not to mention Williams and intriguing rookie wideout Isaac TeSlaa in the mix as big-play threats and Swiss-army knives.
“I want to give them the chance, so I’m taking more shots,” Morton previously said. “Plus, I want to see who can do it and then make the corrections, whether it’s a technique error, something like that.
“I’m all about that, because we have the guys that can do it. So, if you got them, utilize them.”
Campbell said his confidence in his new coordinators, Morton and Kelvin Sheppard, is very high entering the new season. He also knows there could be some growing pains, but they have the right players and roster continuity to help pick up the slack, “and make us right when we’re not.”
Much of the talk surrounding Morton has focused on how he will mesh with quarterback Jared Goff. Former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Goff took this offense to new heights together, with a close-knit working relationship on crafting the unit and honing in on what the quarterback does well.
Goff noted that Morton spending the 2022 season with the Lions has helped their relationship pick up where it left off. Morton worked closely with Johnson and Goff that season, and it’s something the quarterback views as vital to the operation.
He even said Morton has been great about listening to his input, and that disagreements have led to valuable solutions and conversations to get started.
“But, he sees the game very similar to the way I do, and really very similarly to the way that I was taught in LA,” Goff said. “With (Rams coach) Sean (McVay) being with (former Raiders coach) Jon Gruden, him (Morton) being with Jon Gruden, like there’s a lot of crossover there, so it does take me back a little bit to those days, and some of the philosophies are similar there.
“I’ve said it a million times, the fact that we were together at one point and have a relationship prior to him being my coordinator is extremely important and allows us to kind of speak freely to each other.”
Morton said he and Goff are already well-versed in his R-C-E methods, meaning recognize, communicate and execute. The new offensive coordinator will call plays from up in the booth this season, saying that’s where he’s always been, away from the chaos to focus on calling plays. Morton also has trust in Goff and passing game coordinator David Shaw to keep him updated from the ground.
“And, man, we’re just talking all the time,” Morton said of his rapport with Goff. “We have to get to know each other every day. We learn about each other, and he’s just been awesome. Ideas, what I’m thinking, film (sessions), we’re talking on the phone -- it’s been awesome. And that’s the way, you know, the coordinator and the quarterback should be.”
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