ALLEN PARK -- Dan Campbell compared the situation he’s in with offensive coordinator John Morton to how things went down in 2021.
And the Detroit Lions coach isn’t talking about his mid-season move to replace then-offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn for calling the offense. Campbell sees this as an opportunity for Morton to see how he calls the offense, learn his tendencies, what he likes, what Jared Goff likes and to grow.
Campbell’s comparison to that decision four years ago concerned Ben Johnson’s role in the equation. Johnson was the team’s passing game coordinator and got to work closely with Campbell and Goff, watching those two work together and the coach run the offense, then he and Detroit’s offense hit the ground running in 2022.
“But he watched, he learned, he saw how I ran it, how I wanted to run it, what I was looking for,” Campbell said Monday. “And then he evolved it from there. He took it, he knew exactly what I wanted, and by the middle of ’22, I didn’t have to say a word.
“That’s kind of where John (Morton) is right now, that’s all. It’s good. And sometimes that’s the best way to really know what somebody’s looking for is just going through that. I just feel like it’s the right thing to do right now, and I’m going to do it. Am I perfect? No, I’m not perfect. Players are going to have to bail me out. They bailed me out yesterday on a couple of things. Jared Goff bailed me out. The staff bailed me out. But that’s what teamwork’s about. We’ve got to all help each other out.”
Campbell did his best to leave the door open for Morton to potentially step back into the role. But the Lions coach plans to continue calling plays this week against the Philadelphia Eagles, and will continue to lean on what he calls a truly collaborative process as they figure it all out.
It seems unlikely based on how Sunday’s game against the Commanders went. But Campbell made it clear that he needs Morton, and that he loves the offensive coordinator’s ideas, tendency identification and work with the passing attack.
“Yeah. Or who knows? Maybe sooner,” Campbell said when asked if Morton could resume calling the offense next year.
“We’ll see.”
In his first game calling plays since 2021, the Lions won 44-22 while totaling 500-plus yards of offense and getting everyone involved, and then some. Campbell said he received tips and suggestions from all of his offensive coaches during Sunday’s win.
He expects that to continue, and feels protected in his role calling the plays as he feels the Lions have a staff that features “no blind spots.”
“And I feel like with this staff, it’s all covered,” Campbell said. “It’s about me doing my job, what I need to do, then to make sure that we’re on point. There’s things I’ve got to get better at, and I will. And that’s what the staff does -- that’s what Johnny does. And Johnny’s an asset for me. He gives me critical information as it pertains to some of the tendencies going into the game, tendencies during the game, pass game, things to look for, things to go to.
“So, this is collaborative and we’re all involved, and I need every one of those guys. Our offense needs all of them.”
Campbell admittedly loves calling the offense, and he’s proven to be quite good at it, most importantly.
He said he thought about returning to the role after Johnson left to take over as coach of the Chicago Bears. But the main challenge and thought he kept coming back to were the amount of responsibilities that come with the gig, and how it could take him away from something else.
Campbell said that’s the reality for a head coach who calls the plays, as there are only so many things someone can do and manage at once. But he’s confident in the depth and knowledge of his staff, and his X-factor quarterback and players who step up and bring his vision to life.
“I think it’s more about the totality of preparing for the game now and seeing all three pieces and how they work together and how you really want the game to go,” Campbell said. “I’ll get more efficient and I’ll get better at knowing what to do with my time. And I’ve just got to be more efficient in some areas and probably delegate a little bit. And so, I think it’s a little bit more of that.
“Certainly, (defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard) Shep’s done a hell of a job, but I’m going to have to lean on him over there with that unit. He’s earned that trust, and he’s been outstanding for us -- those guys are cooking right now.”
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