3 Lions Players Who Could Thrive Under John Morton as Offensive Coordinator

The Detroit Lions have a new offensive coordinator, and these three players could see major improvements under his guidance.

Losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was inevitable for Detroit, especially after he was hired as the Chicago Bears’ head coach. The Lions’ search for a replacement led them to John Morton, who was most recently the Denver Broncos’ passing game coordinator for two years.

Morton’s primary task will be to maintain the high level of offensive performance established under Johnson, who called plays for the team in recent seasons. However, Morton is expected to add his own unique touch to the offensive system, while still keeping the foundational principles that head coach Dan Campbell values. Morton brings a wealth of coaching experience dating back to 1998.

Throughout his career, Morton has worked with offensive greats like Sean Payton, Jon Gruden, and Jim Harbaugh, all of whom have hired him multiple times. Although he was a full-time play caller only once, during his tenure as the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator in 2017, the lack of talent on that roster doesn’t reflect his abilities as an offensive mind.

Campbell himself praised Morton’s impact 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 that he did for us last year that we’ve kept,” Campbell said. “I really feel like that helped Tanner as well. And he took a lot of that, learned from it, and has grown.”

While Johnson was effective in his role, there were occasional lapses in execution and consistency. With Morton now at the helm, several Lions players could see significant benefits.

3 Lions Players Who Could Benefit Most From John Morton’s Offensive Coordination

3. WR Jameson Williams

Williams made significant strides last season, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards for the first time and becoming a more well-rounded receiver.

Jared Goff’s effectiveness relies heavily on play-action passes, and he has had great success attacking the middle of the field. In 2022, the Lions led the NFL in EPA per dropback on play-action vertical routes, a stat they have dominated over the past two seasons. This style of play also resulted in high success rates and impressive yardage from receivers like Kalif Raymond and DJ Chark.

However, in 2023 and 2024, the EPA per dropback on these plays declined significantly, coinciding with a drop in success rate, which points to a lost opportunity in the deep passing game. Given Williams’ emergence, Morton may find a way to unlock more potential in this area, allowing the wide receiver to take his game to new heights.

2. QB Jared Goff

Goff began to find his rhythm late in the 2021 season, and his full resurgence began in 2022. Both Campbell and Johnson credited Morton’s influence in helping Goff improve during that time.

In July 2022, Campbell commented on Goff’s progress: “He’s more comfortable now than he was last year. A lot of that has to do with what we’ve done offensively, and bringing in John Morton has been really good for us.”

Johnson also praised Goff in January 2023, acknowledging how he embraced coaching from multiple sources, including Morton. “I’ve seen growth from him as a player,” Johnson said, emphasizing Goff’s development through consistent feedback and improvement.

Goff and Johnson formed a strong bond, and the results were evident. While Johnson is no longer with the team, there’s every reason to believe that Goff could continue to grow under Morton’s tutelage,with a similar level of success.

1. RB Jahmyr Gibbs

After an excellent rookie season in 2023, Gibbs reached another level this season (1,929 yards from scrimmage, 20 total touchdowns). But while he was more explosive in the passing game (9.9 yards per reception), he merely matched his catch total as a rookie (52) as it still seemed he has more to offer in that area.

In 2022 the Lions were an excellent screen passing team, averaging 7.0 yards per attempt (second in the league) with a 0.39 EPA per dropback (second) and a 54.2 percent success rate (fourth). That EPA per dropback is the third-highest by any team in a season over the past threes seasons. 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.

Without Morton, while not awful, the Lions’ screen game efficiency has dipped the last two seasons. In 2023 they averaged 5.4 yards per attempt (12th in the league) with a 0.03 EPA per dropback (13th) and a 45.5 percent success rate (sixth). Those numbers rebounded some this season, but not to that 2022 level.

Gibbs was tied for firth among running backs in yards after catch per reception this season (10.6, according to Sports Info Solutions, minimum 20 targets), and his other metrics as a receiver were strong as he took a real step there in Year 2. But if there’s yet another level for him to get to as a pass catcher, it looks to be in the screen game and Morton might be the guy to unlock it.