The Detroit Lions will have a new offensive coordinator, but his influence has already been shown on the group over the last three seasons.
John Morton spent the 2022 campaign as an offensive analyst and helped developed the ideas that were showcased under Ben Johnson. The 2022 season was Johnson's first as offensive coordinator, and he and Dan Campbell worked with Morton to develop the scheme that has vauled the Lions into one of the league's best offenses.
While Morton will bring new schematic elements and ideas to the offense, he was a part of the group that developed the scheme when Johnson took over. As a result, there will likely be elements of the offense that are similar to what its been in recent seasons.
Here are three ways the Lions' offense could be similar under Morton to what it was under Johnson.
Run-first attack
At their core, the Lions have been a run-first team under Dan Campbell since he took over in 2021. With Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, they've had one of the best running back duos in the sport over the past two seasons.
Under Morton, the Lions will likely deploy a similar attck that features the run game heavily. Detroit has also built a sturdy offensive line that is one of the best in the league when fully healthy, so they will likely look to impose their will physically on opponents.
With two rushers capable of surpassing 1,000 yards in a season, the Lions' run game is a weapon that they will look to utilize in a big way.
Play-action heavy
Prior to coming to Detroit, Morton was the passing game coordinator for the Denver Broncos. He worked under Sean Payton, who also served as a mentor for Campbell during their time together in New Orleans.
When it came to the Broncos' passing attack, they operated in a fashion similar to how Detroit conducts its offense. According to Pro Football Focus, Denver quarterback Bo Nix had 171 passing attempts out of play-action last season. That number put him in the top-five of quarterbacks around the league, a group that was led by Goff's 213 attempts.
As a result, it's safe to assume that the Lions will once again operate in a passing attack that is heavily reliant on play-action. Using the run game to open up the pass has been a staple of Campbell's team, and it's hard to see that changing under Morton.
Explosive play emphasis
Under Johnson, the Lions aimed to generate explosive plays at a high rate. That won't change under Morton, as he expressed a desire to find ways to get big plays for the offense.
There's no shortage of options within the offense, as Gibbs, Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams are just some of the skill players who could do damage to defenses. Morton's offense in Denver was near the top of the league in deep passes attempted.
As a result, the Lions will constantly be looking for ways to generate big plays within their offense. Morton will bring a passing influence given his background, but the Lions will likely once again scheme their offense around creating big runs and using that to set up the pass.
