When Dan Campbell grabbed the play sheet last Sunday and unleashed a 546-yard offensive explosion on Washington, all eyes shifted to one man: offensive coordinator John Morton. Losing play-calling duties is never easy, especially for someone who waited years for another shot at it.
But if you thought Morton would sulk, deflect, or go passive? Think again.
On Thursday in Allen Park, the Lions OC stepped in front of the cameras and delivered one of the most honest, grounded, and team-centered media sessions you’ll hear from any coach.
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“I fully support it” — Morton backs Campbell without hesitation
Morton opened by making one thing clear — there’s no ego war happening inside the Lions’ building.
“I fully support it,” Morton said as quoted by the Detroit News. “Listen, man. I’ve been doing this for a while. I’ve been with head coaches that are offensive guys, play-callers, so I’m used to that. I feel very prideful of things that I was doing. There’s some things I’ve got to learn, no doubt.
But listen, I want to do whatever it takes to win. I mean, as soon he said (that), I’m like, ‘All right, let’s go. What do we gotta do?’ That’s the way I’ve always been in this business. I’ve been cut six times (as a player), I’ve been fired. Man, you just march on, because it’s always about the team. It always is.”
That quote tells you everything about Morton. Humble. No excuses. No resentment. Just football.
He felt the shift, too — and so did the players
Morton didn’t pretend last week’s offensive showing was normal. Detroit scored on every meaningful drive and had stretches where they moved the ball like a video game offense.
He explained the difference perfectly:
“You saw it last week. For one series, we had all first downs. I talk about CFL football, first, second — it wasn’t even that. I don’t even know what it was. Might’ve been Tecmo.
But you can feel it, you know what I’m saying? It’s just first down, second down, first down, second down, first down, second down. And we had those moments this year, but it’s just like everything was clicking last week.”
Morton didn’t hide from reality; the offense flowed better with Campbell calling it. But he also didn’t take it personally. He embraced it. That’s rare.
Morton sees this as a challenge, not a demotion
Instead of sulking, Morton sees the situation exactly how Campbell hopes his players see it, as a chance to fight their way back into a role they want.
He put it bluntly:
“That’s just like, ‘OK, I was a starter. Now I’m not. OK. What do I got to do to become a starter again?’ If someone tells you (that) you’re demoted, you’re not going to be here anymore, you’re going to work for high school games. What are you going to do? You’re going to keep fighting, right? That’s what we do.
That’s what the Lions do.”
If you’re looking for the clearest window into the Dan Campbell culture, that’s it.
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The Bottom Line
Fans often see coaching changes as drama. Morton sees it as competition. Campbell sees it as adaptation. And the Lions? They see it as fuel.
Morton’s response wasn’t just classy, it was perfectly aligned with a team whose identity is built on grit, transparency, and accountability.
If this is the attitude in the building after a shake-up, Detroit’s offense isn’t heading for turbulence. It’s heading for liftoff.