**3 Lions Players Who Could Excel Under John Morton as Offensive Coordinator**

1. The Detroit Lions have a new offensive coordinator, and these three players are positioned to thrive because of it.

The departure of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was expected for the Lions, especially after he took the head coaching job with the Chicago Bears. To fill the role, Detroit hired John Morton, who most recently spent two years as the Denver Broncos’ passing game coordinator.

Morton’s primary responsibility will be to maintain the high level of offensive success the Lions achieved under Johnson in recent seasons. However, Morton will likely leave his own imprint on the offense, incorporating his coaching experience dating back to 1998, while respecting the foundational principles that head coach Dan Campbell wants to preserve.

Throughout his career, Morton has worked with renowned offensive minds like Sean Payton, Jon Gruden, and Jim Harbaugh, each of whom hired him multiple times. Although Morton has only served as a full-time play caller for one season (as the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator in 2017), the lack of talent on that roster shouldn’t be mistaken for a reflection of his offensive acumen.

Campbell himself praised Morton’s influence on the Lions’ offense during his time as a senior assistant in 2022.

“John Morton, man, Johnny was – Johnny’s a superstar now, and there’s a number of things he did for us last year that we’ve kept,” Campbell said. “I really feel like that helped Tanner as well. He took a lot of that, learned from it, and grew from it.”

While Johnson’s tenure saw many players develop, there were also occasional inconsistencies. With that in mind, these three players stand to benefit greatly from Morton’s guidance.

**3 Lions Players Who Could Benefit Most from John Morton as Offensive Coordinator**

**3. WR Jameson Williams**

Williams made significant strides last season, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards for the first time and improving as an all-around receiver.

Jared Goff is at his best when operating in a play-action system, especially excelling on intermediate throws over the middle.

In 2022, the Lions led the NFL with 1.31 EPA per dropback on play-action vertical routes. They also averaged 19.2 yards per attempt (third) and had a league-best 69.6 percent success rate. Kalif Raymond and DJ Chark performed well in this system, with Raymond averaging 33.8 yards per target on these plays, ranking first in the league.

However, these numbers dropped in 2023 and 2024, despite Williams’ strong growth as a receiver. With Morton at the helm, there’s a chance the deep passing game could be revitalized, allowing Williams to take his game to the next level.

**2. QB Jared Goff**

Goff showed improvement late in the 2021 season, and his full resurgence came in 2022, with both Campbell and Johnson acknowledging Morton’s role in his development.

“Yeah, well I would say he’s more comfortable at this time than he was last year,” Campbell said. “A lot of that has to do with what we’ve done offensively, I would say Ben Johnson has done a really good job and his staff. Not only what we’re doing, but bringing in John Morton has been really good for us.”

Johnson also praised Goff in 2023, noting the growth he had shown under the guidance of Morton and others.

While Goff’s relationship with Johnson was key to his success, Morton could establish a similar connection with the quarterback. The two are not starting from scratch, meaning Goff’s performance should continue to improve without the need for a complete overhaul.

**1. RB Jahmyr Gibbs**

Gibbs had an impressive rookie season in 2023 and built upon it with a breakout year in 2024, totaling 1,929 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns. While he improved as a pass catcher, matching his rookie season’s 52 catches, there’s still untapped potential in his receiving game.

In 2022, the Lions were one of the top screen-passing teams in the league, ranking second in yards per attempt (7.0) and second in EPA per dropback (0.39). This helped ease Goff’s workload, allowing him to rely on screens to supplement the offense.

In the past two seasons, without Morton, the Lions’ screen game efficiency has declined, but Gibbs still showed strong receiving metrics, ranking fifth among running backs in yards after catch per reception (10.6). If there’s another level for Gibbs to reach as a pass catcher, Morton could unlock it, particularly through the screen game.