In a surprising but obvious move for the Detroit Lions, head coach Dan Campbell has assumed playcalling duties. He takes over from former OC John Morton in this important role. It was one of the biggest inflection points of the team’s season. After all, they were coming off a definitely-not-okay, 0-8 start to the season. The Lions showcased their potential with a remarkable 44-22 win over the Washington Commanders, demonstrating the impact of Campbell’s new role.
Under Campbell’s leadership, the Lions flipped their season upside down. Considering they opened the season with eight straight losses, impressive that they still rallied to finish 5-3 over the last eight weeks. The most recent victory over the Commanders was a prime example of Campbell’s genius. Perhaps more importantly, to prove, beyond any doubt, that he could fuel offensive success. The Lions scored touchdowns on their first eight offensive possessions, a clinic on Campbell’s playcalling expertise.
As enticing as it was to hire Morton, Campbell had considered the option of making this move himself and taking over Omaha’s offense as the chief playcaller. Looking to change that, Johnson shared a realistic insight about the demands this role would require from him as the head coach.
“It was just, ‘Let’s try something a little different,’” – Dan Campbell
The game against the Commanders served as a perfect demonstration of Campbell’s ability to adapt and lead effectively. The Lions finished with a gaudy 546 total yards, which included a season-high 226 rushing yards. Quarterback Jared Goff was beyond superb. He had 25 completions on 33 attempts for 320 yards, tossing three touchdowns to zero interceptions.
Goff said there was a huge difference between Morton and Campbell’s playcalling. He highlighted the various conditions that defined each leg of the season.
“We were 0-8 when that happened and 5-3 when this happened, and it was completely different circumstances.” – Jared Goff
The joint work between Campbell and Morton made for a seamless transition. Goff especially lauded Morton’s veteran presence and willingness to help the team through this transition.
“You’ve got to give Johnny a ton of credit for handling it the way he handled it as a veteran coach,” – Jared Goff
As Campbell noted, working together is critical at every step of this process. He admitted that even as he assumed playcalling duties, he was still looking to Morton and other coaches for guidance.
“Look, I know what I want to do. I know how I want to do it. Now, that being said, this is a collaborative effort now,” – Dan Campbell
The head coach recognized that Morton’s contributions were still critical to the team’s success.
“Listen, John Morton’s all team. That’s all he cares about. He just wants to win,” – Dan Campbell
While the game crackled with tension, Campbell was singularly focused on his product’s excellence. He egregiously overlooked the fact that former President Donald Trump was there.
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