Pride of Detroit
What the John Morton hire means for the 2025 Lions offense
Dan Campbell has finalized his coordinator hires, replacing the departed Ben Johnson by bringing in a familiar face—former Denver Broncos pass game coordinator John Morton—as offensive coordinator. Morton, who previously served as a senior offensive assistant for Detroit, played a key role in shaping the upstart 2022 Lions offense with valuable ideas and play design. Campbell’s decision to bring him back signals confidence that Morton can seamlessly step in to maintain the team’s high-powered attack while working alongside Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Hank Fraley, and other returning offensive staff members.
Morton’s reputation precedes him, having been a trusted offensive mind for top coaches like Jon Gruden, Jim Harbaugh, and Sean Payton—each of whom has hired him multiple times. Now, Campbell follows suit, elevating Morton to a lead role.
There’s good reason for that. Morton has helped construct multiple successful offenses, bringing sharp passing game concepts that maximize quarterback efficiency. His ability to keep Goff in favorable situations should fold in nicely with run game coordinator Hank Fraley, who also earned a well-deserved promotion.
Below, I highlight three underrated aspects of the Morton hire, drawing from his influence on the 2022 Lions offense and other previous stops including last year in Denver.
Note: Unless otherwise indicated, all statistics were made available via NFL Pro or FTN Fantasy.
One area where the 2022 Lions excelled—but became less efficient as the offense evolved—was screen passing. While Ben Johnson’s offense featured well-designed and well-executed screen plays over the past two seasons, they were a more impactful component of the less dominant 2022 unit. Morton, then part of a relatively young and inexperienced offensive staff, likely played a steady role in shaping those screen concepts.
In 2022, the Lions ranked among the NFL’s best in screen efficiency, averaging 7.0 yards per attempt (second), 0.39 EPA per dropback (second), and a 54.2% success rate (fourth). That 0.39 EPA per dropback was the third-highest by any team in a single season over the past three years. Screens provided Jared Goff with easy outlets, lightening his workload as he rebuilt his confidence. They were an easy avenue for him to not have the entire aerially attack on his shoulders.
After Morton’s departure, the Lions’ screen game efficiency dipped in 2023, though it remained productive. They averaged 5.4 yards per attempt (12th), 0.03 EPA per dropback (13th), and a 45.5% success rate (sixth). In 2024, the numbers rebounded as part of the league’s most imposing offensive juggernaut, but neither season quite matched the 2022 peak.
With Morton, Detroit fielded a top-tier screen game despite lacking a top-tier offensive roster. He helped lay the foundation, scheming around a backfield of D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams rather than Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. He worked with a patchwork offensive line—Evan Brown, Logan Stenberg, Kayode Awosika, and Dan Skipper combined for 23 starts—alongside a young Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell, minimal contributions from Jameson Williams,...
