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Ahead of a big-ticket NFC matchup, the Detroit Lions are bringing in some major changes to their backroom staff. There have been rumblings of change, especially with head coach Dan Campbell taking over the offensive shot calling from OC John Morton in the victory over the Washington Commanders.

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“Dan Campbell will call offensive plays rest of the season.”

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The news was reported by veteran NFL analyst Jay Glazer.

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Though it’s only been one game with Dan Campbell taking over the offensive play-calling responsibilities, it seemed like a successful outing. The Lions ended up with 44 points as Jared Goff recorded 320 passing yards and three touchdowns, Jahmyr Gibbs had 172 scrimmage yards with three touchdowns, and Jameson Williams had 119 yards and one touchdown.

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So, what does it mean for John Morton? After the win against Washington, Campbell was asked about his OC’s future with the team, and he had a rather open-ended answer.

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“Yeah, or who knows? Maybe sooner. We’ll see. Well, now we have our answer as far as the rest of the season goes,” said Dan Campbell.

But this isn’t the first time the Detroit Lions’ head coach has taken over the play-calling responsibility. Back in 2021, Campbell took the role from then-OC Anthony Lynn. The two parties parted ways after the season. But with John Morton and Dan Campbell sharing a better connection than what Campbell and Lynn had.

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Hence, the future of the current Lions’ offensive coordinator remains a mystery despite his recent comments about his demotion.

How has Morton reacted to Dan Campbell taking over play-calling role?

This cloud of uncertainty first appeared over John Morton’s head after the Detroit Lions suffered a 24-27 loss against the Minnesota Vikings. Unfortunately for Morton, this defeat was an embodiment of his downward trend throughout the season as the offense appeared stalled. The Lions managed only 305 total yards while marking the loss as their third consecutive game of scoring less than 24 points.

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Hence, after the defeat, Campbell “informed Morton he’d be making a switch and calling plays for the foreseeable future”, according to the Athletic. Soon, the players were informed about the development, and then the information was made public.

However, reacting to this demotion, John Morton has been rather supportive of the decision.

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“I fully support it,” Morton said, as per the Detroit News. “Listen, man. I’ve been doing this for a while. I’ve been with head coaches that are offensive guys, play-callers, so I’m used to that. I feel very prideful of things that I was doing. There’s some things I’ve got to learn, no doubt.”

Now with Campbell taking over, only time will tell if this decision will lead to a successful conclusion. And for John Morton, the 56-year-old will have to wait and see what lies in his future.

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Written by

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Abhishek Sachin Sandikar

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Abhishek Sandikar is the NFL Editor at EssentiallySports, where he leads coverage of America’s most dynamic football stories with sharp editorial judgment and creative insight. A Journalism graduate from Christ University and a postgraduate in Broadcast Journalism, University of London, Abhishek brings narrative precision and a storyteller’s instinct to every piece he edits. His mornings begin with NFL and NBA highlights, his days are spent tracking evolving storylines, and his nights often end with a final dose of football.

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Bisma Shakeel

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