"Before the season, Morton was given the tall task of following previous coordinator Ben Johnson in the role. Johnson, who took the head coaching job with the Chicago Bears in the offseason, had helped turn the Lions into one of the NFL's top offenses over his three years in charge -- helping the unit top the league in points (30.15 per game), offensive efficiency and first downs the past two seasons."
"But the offense struggled to reach the same heights in the first eight games under Morton. In the 27-24 home loss to the Vikings, the Lions, who had averaged 402.2 yards from 2023-2024, managed just 305. The game also marked the third straight contest in which Detroit had failed to score 30 points. Campbell knew it was time for a change."
""As soon as he said it, 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, I've been fired. Man, you just march on"
Dan Campbell held a private meeting with first-year offensive coordinator John Morton after a Week 9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Morton had replaced Ben Johnson, who previously helped the Lions lead the league in points, efficiency and first downs. Under Morton, the offense failed to match prior production, dropping from a 402.2-yard average to 305 yards in the Vikings game and failing to reach 30 points for a third consecutive contest. Campbell informed Morton on Nov. 3 that he would take over playcalling duties and then spoke with quarterback Jared Goff about the change to spark the unit.
Read at ESPN.com
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