The Detroit Lions are in the midst of arguably the most successful three-season stretch in franchise history. Last season, Detroit won the NFC North and secured the number one overall seed and the first-round bye that comes with it. Unfortunately for the Lions, Detroit was upset by the Washington Commanders in the divisional round, ending their playoff run early.
Head coach Dan Campbell is focused on finally getting the team over the hump and bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Detroit for the first time ever, but other teams around the league took notice of the elite staff he built.
Aaron Glenn, Detroit’s defensive coordinator last season, is leading the New York Jets as the franchise’s head coach, and Ben Johnson, their offensive coordinator from 2024, is the head coach of the Chicago Bears.
John Morton assumed the mantle of offensive coordinator in Detroit this season, but the offense under Morton hasn’t been the elite unit that it was under Johson, despite Detroit being 5-3 heading into last weekend’s game against the Commanders.
Fans were surprised when in the win over the Commanders, the Lions had thier best offensive day of the season, accumulating over 500 yards of total offense. Now, we have an explanation for the shocking outburst.
In his postgame press conference, Campbell revealed that he stripped Morton of play-calling duties and took over himself, according to one prominent league insider.
“Lions HC Dan Campbell acknowledged to reporters after today’s win in Washington that he took over the offensive play-calling duties from OC John Morton,” reported ESPN’s senior NFL insider Adam Schefter on Monday.
Lions HC Dan Campbell acknowledged to reporters after today’s win in Washington that he took over the offensive play-calling duties from OC John Morton.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 10, 2025
Fans reacted to the change on social media.
“Sometimes you just need that immediate spark and clear direction from the top guy when things are getting hairy. If it helps snag a win, it’s a smart, albeit temporary, tactical adjustment to get the job done,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“So Campbell basically said, ‘Move, I’ll do it myself.’ That tells you everything about the Lions’ offense,” one fan added.
“Interesting move. Seems like Campbell wanted more control on offense. Let’s see how it pays off for the Lions,” someone else wrote.
It’ll be interesting to see if Campbell calls plays for the remainder of the season.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.