John Morton Ready for Second Shot at Being Offensive Coordinator

The Detroit Lions' new offensive coordinator is now confident that the proper ingredients are in place for him to have success.

John Morton admitted he was not ready for the opportunity he got back in 2017 to run the Jets' offense under former coach Todd Bowles.

"I didn't know any of the coaches. Like Dan (Campbell) addressed earlier, when he wanted to hire certain guys, it has to be a fit. It's just, like, you got a certain recipe that you like, and you got certain ingredients. But, you can't use those ingredients. It's just like, 'Okay, well, they ain't going to work, you know?' But, in this situation, it's totally different," said Morton. "I have a feel. We have a vision. We're all going to have the same vision. The way Dan put this staff together, everybody's kind of got the same vision. And it's all about teaching, communicating and recognizing the situation right and communicating and then going and executing it ..."

Morton returns to Detroit after two seasons as the Denver Broncos' passing game coordinator. There, he worked with Sean Payton, a longtime colleague and mentor of Campbell.

"Well, he's super passionate, and he works his tail off. He's great with film study and ideas, he's one of those guys that will bring you red zone, third down, a lot of information," Payton said. "We were together in New Orleans several times. It's a chance where he's gonna be calling the plays. I was just with Dan Campbell a few minutes ago, maybe an hour ago, and we were talking about him. He'll do a great job."

Campbell noted that Morton was the best decision to hire, due to the significant level of trust he has in the experienced coach and Jared Goff's familiarity with his coaching style.

"We were together here in 2022. I've been with him with the Saints. He was part of the group when we put this thing together. He was a part of this," Campbell said. "I felt like that was the best move for us, to get him back here. Somebody that I have a lot of trust in, faith in. Goff knows him and is comfortable with (him). He's got a good rapport with Hank (Fraley), 'Bru' (Mark Brunell). And then adding the additions that we have. Obviously David Shaw, those two go way back, him and John Morton."

Morton called Shaw his best friend and literally another extension of his offensive vision. Both are very close, and are looking forward to aiding the Lions in reaching and eventually winning the Super Bowl.

Lots of mouths to feed

Detroit's offense is full of talented weapons.

It can sometimes be difficult to effectively divvy up targets and plays for so many explosive playmakers.

"It's a fun challenge, right? All we got to do is look at, 'Okay, what is this guy really great at and let's do it. The offseason, things like that. And the training camp, how can we improve? How do we make this guy better? That's kind of, the passing game has been a big part of my life," said Morton. "So, I have a good feel. I'll have a good feel about guys. And, we'll talk about this as a staff, with Dan and figure out how do we improve. I think that's big, you know."

Coaching Goff in his prime

Detroit's coaching staff believes the 30-year-old signal-caller is just entering the prime of his career.

Working with Ben Johnson, the former Rams quarterback transformed his game, and reminded everyone why he was a No. 1 overall pick.

Morton expressed, when asked by Lions OnSI, why he is looking forward to working with Goff at this stage of his career.

"Big time, exciting. I mean, pretty close of going to the Super Bowl. We protect the ball, it's a different story in my mind," said Morton. "I mean, that's where it all starts. But, I'm really excited. I've seen him grow when he got to Detroit, to where he is now. And then it's us sitting down as a staff and watching the cut-ups. How we make him better."