Dan Campbell has finalized his coordinator hires, changing the departed Ben Johnson by bringing in a well-recognized face—former Denver Broncos go recreation coordinator John Morton—as offensive coordinator. Morton, who beforehand served as a senior offensive assistant for Detroit, performed a key position in shaping the upstart 2022 Lions offense with beneficial concepts and play design. Campbell’s choice to deliver him again indicators confidence that Morton can seamlessly step in to take care of the staff’s high-powered assault whereas working alongside Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Hank Fraley, and different returning offensive workers members.
Morton’s popularity precedes him, having been a trusted offensive thoughts for high coaches like Jon Gruden, Jim Harbaugh, and Sean Payton—every of whom has employed him a number of occasions. Now, Campbell follows go well with, elevating Morton to a lead position.
There’s good purpose for that. Morton has helped assemble a number of profitable offenses, bringing sharp passing recreation ideas that maximize quarterback effectivity. His potential to maintain Goff in favorable conditions ought to fold in properly with run recreation coordinator Hank Fraley, who additionally earned a well-deserved promotion.
Under, I spotlight three underrated facets of the Morton rent, drawing from his affect on the 2022 Lions offense and different earlier stops together with final 12 months in Denver.
Word: Except in any other case indicated, all statistics have been made obtainable through NFL Professional or FTN Fantasy.
Improved display screen performs
One space the place the 2022 Lions excelled—however grew to become much less environment friendly because the offense developed—was display screen passing. Whereas Ben Johnson’s offense featured well-designed and well-executed display screen performs over the previous two seasons, they have been a extra impactful element of the much less dominant 2022 unit. Morton, then a part of a comparatively younger and inexperienced offensive workers, probably performed a gradual position in shaping these display screen ideas.
In 2022, the Lions ranked among the many NFL’s greatest in display screen effectivity, averaging 7.0 yards per try (second), 0.39 EPA per dropback (second), and a 54.2% success fee (fourth). That 0.39 EPA per dropback was the third-highest by any staff in a single season over the previous three years. Screens offered Jared Goff with straightforward retailers, lightening his workload as he rebuilt his confidence. They have been a simple avenue for him to not have all the aerially assault on his shoulders.
After Morton’s departure, the Lions’ display screen recreation effectivity dipped in 2023, although it remained productive. They averaged 5.4 yards per try (twelfth), 0.03 EPA per dropback (thirteenth), and a forty five.5% success fee (sixth). In 2024, the numbers rebounded as a part of the league’s most imposing offensive juggernaut, however neither season fairly matched the 2022 peak.
With Morton, Detroit fielded a top-tier display screen recreation regardless of missing a top-tier offensive roster. He helped lay the muse, scheming round a backfield of D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams slightly than Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. He labored with a patchwork offensive line—Evan Brown, Logan Stenberg, Kayode Awosika, and Dan Skipper mixed for 23 begins—alongside a younger Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell, minimal contributions from Jameson Williams, and no Sam LaPorta.
As Morton now takes possession of the offense alongside Fraley and others, his recent perspective might revitalize Detroit’s display screen recreation, making it an much more harmful weapon in an already elite assault.
Deep ball effectivity
The 2022 offense averaged a formidable 26.6 factors per recreation (fifth), whereas maximizing its roster’s strengths. They staked declare to their success by means of a number of avenues, together with the display screen recreation, as beforehand highlighted, but in addition by attacking defenses with deep play-action passing.
Whereas the Lions offense thrived over the previous three seasons, their play-action passing to vertical routes (Go, Put up, Nook) was notably efficient in 2022. Within the following seasons, the offense shifted its focus towards attacking the center of the sphere on play-action passes—with nice success—however to a point on the expense of its deep passing effectivity.
On play-action vertical routes in 2022, the Lions led the NFL with 1.31 EPA per dropback—the best mark throughout each the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In addition they averaged 19.2 yards per try (third) and posted a league-best 69.6% success fee. Kalif Raymond and DJ Chark have been key contributors, with Raymond recording 169 receiving yards (fourth) and Chark including 127 yards (thirteenth). Notably, Raymond averaged a staggering 33.8 yards per goal on these performs—the best within the NFL that season and the second-highest previously three years (min. 5 targets).
In 2023, the Lions’ manufacturing on play-action vertical routes took a slight dip, averaging 0.84 EPA per dropback (second), 20.9 yards per try (third), and a 50% success fee (twelfth). The decline continued in 2024, as they managed simply 0.75 EPA per dropback (seventeenth), 16.3 yards per try (eleventh), and a 47.6% success fee (twentieth). This regression got here regardless of the presence of Jameson Williams—one of many league’s premier deep threats—suggesting a missed alternative in stretching the sphere since Morton’s departure.
If Morton can reintroduce a more practical deep-passing aspect whereas faking the run, forcing defenses to account for threats behind the final line of protection, it might additional open up each the middle-of-the-field passing assault and the operating recreation.
Quarterback growth
The ultimate underrated facet of Morton’s rent isn’t tied to his earlier tenure with the Lions, however slightly to the quarterback journeys that he’s been an instrumental a part of previously. At this level, Jared Goff is already working at an All-Professional degree, and Morton might be tasked with guaranteeing that top customary continues. Nevertheless, it’s Morton’s in depth background in quarterback growth that makes his presence notably intriguing for backup Hendon Hooker.
This previous season in Denver, Morton was a part of the offensive mind belief that guided rookie Bo Nix to a formidable first 12 months. Nix exceeded expectations, exhibiting regular enchancment after early struggles. The Broncos’ workers made life simpler for him by leaning closely on play-action passing—Nix ranked fifth in play-action makes an attempt in 2024, with Goff main the league.
Morton’s historical past of maximizing quarterbacks extends past Denver. In 2019, he joined Jon Gruden’s Oakland Raiders workers, serving to Derek Carr rebound from a tough 2018 season, his first below Gruden. That 12 months, Carr set profession highs in completion share (70.4%), yards per try (7.9), passing success fee (50.7%), and recorded his first season with a passer score over 100.
His monitor document dates again even additional. At USC, as passing recreation coordinator below offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, Morton performed a key position in Mark Sanchez’s growth from 2007 to 2008, serving to him turn into a top-five NFL draft choose whereas main the Trojans to a 12-1 document. The next 12 months, as USC’s offensive coordinator, he guided Matt Barkley—the primary true freshman quarterback to begin a season opener for a preseason top-five staff since 1975. Beneath Morton’s continued mentorship in 2010, after being retained by new USC head coach Lane Kiffin, Barkley improved throughout the board in his sophomore marketing campaign.
Winding again the faculty clock a bit additional on Morton, he was additionally the offensive coordinator for the College of San Diego in Jim Harbaugh’s second 12 months main the Toreros. In 2005, he helped rework the staff from a 7-4 squad to an 11-1 powerhouse, averaging 42.5 factors per recreation and successful the PFL championship. He performed a key position within the emergence of first-year starter, and future immortal NFL backup, Josh Johnson, who lit up the Division I-AA ranks with 3,320 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, 720 dashing yards, and 11 dashing scores—all whereas finishing 66.3% of his passes. Morton administered an unstoppable offense that allowed for Johnson to set the Division I-AA soccer world on fireplace together with having six video games with no less than 4 passing touchdowns
One other notable quarterback success story got here in 2006 with the New Orleans Saints, the place Morton served as passing recreation coordinator in Sean Payton’s first season as head coach. He performed a pivotal position in serving to newly-signed free agent Drew Brees elevate his recreation to elite standing, ending second in MVP voting, incomes First-Staff All-Professional honors, and delivering a legendary season that revitalized the Saints franchise post-Hurricane Katrina.
Morton’s monitor document in growing younger quarterbacks and introducing modern ideas to boost their consolation and development is simple. Whereas Mark Brunell has been a useful useful resource for the Lions’ offense and a trusted sounding board for Goff, his teaching expertise past the highschool degree is proscribed. That’s the place Morton’s addition turns into notably beneficial—his experience strengthens the offensive workers and offers a seasoned voice in quarterback growth.
Hooker lastly bought his NFL seas legs in 2024 and Morton’s steerage over the rest of his rookie contract could possibly be the important thing to shaping him into one of many league’s high backup quarterbacks.
