Let’s be honest: when Ben Johnson left the Detroit Lions to become head coach of the Chicago Bears after the 2024 season, everyone expected some kind of drop-off. You don’t lose one of the league’s brightest offensive minds without feeling it. But eight games into the John Morton era, something feels… off.
Sure, the Lions still rank No. 2 in the NFL in scoring at 29.9 points per game. On paper, that looks great. But anyone watching this offense knows what Amon-Ra St. Brown summed up perfectly in one word: flow.
“For us as an offense, the word that sticks out to me is flow,” St. Brown told 97.1 The Ticket. “I feel like we haven’t been in a flow all year… rhythm, execution, as a whole.”
Dan Campbell John Morton John Morton Detroit Lions offensive coordinator
A Step Back — and Everyone Feels It
Under Ben Johnson in 2024, the Lions averaged 415.7 total yards per game, second-best in the entire NFL. In 2025, under Morton? That number’s down to 350.8 yards per game, ranking 11th.
The passing game looks inconsistent. The run game, which is supposed to be Detroit’s calling card, has dropped from 149.4 rushing yards per game to 125.1. That’s not catastrophic, but it’s telling. What was once a relentless, downhill attack now feels… sluggish.
There are flashes, sure. The Ravens game. The Bears game. But even then, the Lions never quite feel like they’re dictating tempo the way they used to. You can tell Jared Goff isn’t as comfortable, and even Dan Campbell’s body language on the sideline says it all, frustration simmering under that headset.
Campbell’s History Says It All
Here’s what gives this story teeth: Dan Campbell’s already been here before.
Remember 2021? When the Lions’ offense couldn’t find its identity under Anthony Lynn? Campbell didn’t wait until the offseason. He took over play-calling duties mid-year and later parted ways with Lynn entirely.
At the time, Campbell said something that now feels eerily relevant:
“It just wasn’t a fit. We never found our groove or our rhythm.”
Sound familiar? St. Brown’s talking about flow. Campbell talked about rhythm. Both mean the same thing: the offense isn’t clicking, and it’s not a player problem, it’s an identity problem. Flow. Rhythm. Groove. Whatever you want to call it, the Lions just don’t have it right now.
The Washington Test
That’s why Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders might be John Morton’s make-or-break moment.
The Commanders’ defense ranks 28th in the NFL in yards allowed, giving up a whopping 377.8 yards per game. If the Lions can’t move the ball and find that missing rhythm against this defense, when will they?
Because after Washington, things get real.
Week 11: at Philadelphia Eagles — one of the league’s most physical defenses.
Thanksgiving Day: vs. Green Bay Packers — an NFC North showdown with division implications.
If Morton’s offense stumbles through Washington, Campbell might not wait for another midseason swoon. He’s not afraid to shake things up when he thinks it’ll wake up the locker room, and he’s shown before that he’ll take the reins himself if that’s what it takes.
John Morton Detroit Lions offense John Morton Ben Johnson Detroit Lions third down struggles 2025
The Bottom Line
The Lions’ offense doesn’t need a complete overhaul. It just needs to find itself again, to rediscover the rhythm that made Detroit the most dangerous offense in football a year ago.
But time’s running out for John Morton to make that happen. With Campbell’s patience wearing thin and an underperforming unit looking for answers, Sunday in Washington might be his last shot to prove he can lead this offense back to dominance.
Because if Detroit’s offense doesn’t find that “flow” Amon-Ra St. Brown keeps talking about soon… someone else will be calling the plays.