Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton is saying all the right things following his Week 10 demotion from the team's main play caller to doing anything but that.
Morton, who was hired in the offseason after serving with the Lions as their senior offensive assistant back in 2022, had a huge task at hand to begin the year. He had to step into Ben Johnson's shoes, and fully execute at a high level, utilizing the versatile pieces Detroit had to offer him on offense.
The results have been shaky so far this season. Morton began calling some rather flat games, becoming predictable with how he was utilizing Jahmyr Gibbs and how he wasn't utilizing Jameson Williams at all. In Week 10, that changed - Dan Campbell took over play calling, and it resulted in a 44-22 lashing of the Washington Commanders.
Ahead of Week 11, Morton told reporters that the demotion has been received as nothing more than a proper challenge to the coach, and he plans on utilizing it as motivation to continue to improve within the organization.
"I'm still doing everything, I'm (just) not calling the game. You always have to be positive. It ain't about me, it's about the team ... I'm gonna do whatever it takes. Why mope around so players can see that? What good does that do?" https://t.co/S42BFg3nFT
— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) November 13, 2025
Morton says all the right things following demotion
Morton could've easily taken this news terribly. After all, you're halfway into your first year at OC, and you're doing everything in your power to distinguish yourself as being anything but Johnson. That has resulted in some concerning trends within the Lions' offense, including having Gibbs run up the gut much of the time, calling far too many screen plays, and utilizing Williams mainly as a blocker.
Enough was enough by Week 10, which is when Campbell was seen on the sideline with glasses on and a call sheet in his face. The glasses were a dead giveaway - Campbell typically stays privvy to the call sheet in-game, but it was obvious he was taking this role very seriously against Washington.
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"I've been cut six times, I've been fired, you just march on, because it's always about the team," added Morton in his comments to the media ahead of another day of practice before Sunday Night Football.
Morton, clearly, has the exact mindset you expect to see in this Lions organization. He's about the team as a whole, and is clearly willing to take a step back if it means he's a part of a winning operation. Week 11 will be a huge test for him and Campbell as the Eagles' defense is a far different beast compared to the shell of a defense faced in Week 10 against the Commanders.