Following lackluster performances on offense, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell took away the play calling responsibilities from first-year offensive coordinator John Morton and assumed the responsibilities himself, with varying degrees of success.
Morton was supplanted as the official offensive play caller following Detroit’s 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, after which the club amassed a 3-5 record with worse offensive stats.
However, while Morton’s fate with the Lions beyond this season has yet to be officially decided, he’s made it clear where he prefers to work next season.
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Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator John Morton Wants To Remain In Detroit
While speaking at his final news conference of the season, Morton explained that not only does he love the organization and that his focus is fully on their Week 18 matchup against the rival Chicago Bears, but that he’d love to remain with the club next season as well.
“I’d like to be here. Yeah. I love it here. I love (coach) Dan (Campbell), I love the organization. It’s my home,” Morton said on Thursday. “All I’m thinking about is Chicago right now, so whatever happens, happens. I’ve been in this business for a while. I’m proud of the things that I’ve done. There’s a lot of things that I’ve got to improve on. … Whatever happens, I just march on, just like I always have. That’s my attitude with everything.”
Morton, who originally hails from Auburn Hills, acknowledged that having a completely new interior offensive line combined with multiple injuries to key players played a role in Detroit’s subpar results this season, but refuses to use it as an excuse for how things turned out.
“It’s a little bit of everything, it really is. But it does start up front. If you can control the line of scrimmage and do that, it just makes everything a lot easier,” Morton said. “… I think it all does start up front, and losing our tight ends and stuff — that’s part of the offensive line. But it’s not excuses. It’s not. We all have our hand in this. We have to be creative, just like in everything else, in the passing game and stuff. When a guy goes down, ‘OK, this guy’s got to step up.’”
Morton also said that being given the play calling responsibilities back from Campbell isn’t a requirement of his to consider remaining with the Lions beyond this season.
“No, it’s not,” he said. “No, absolutely not.
Detroit’s Offensive Numbers Went Down With Dan Campbell Calling Plays
Despite Campbell taking over the play calling duties from Morton, there was a noticeable contrast in how the team performed, and it wasn’t the improvement that Campbell had in mind.
Under Morton, the Lions amassed a record of 5-3 and racked up an average of 29.9 points and 125.1 yards rushing per game. But when Campbell assumed the play calling duties, the Lions averaged 26.8 points per game and averaging 114.8 rushing yards yards while compiling a record of 3-5 with one more game to go.
There will be a major decision by Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes to make during the offseason, which unfortunately begins for the Lions on Monday after they face the Bears on Sunday
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