New Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton has three main philosophies when it comes to offensive football:
- Protect the ball by making good decisions
- Generate explosive plays
- Be good on third down
Morton is inheriting a Detroit offense that's been good in all three areas. Detroit's 15 giveaways were the sixth fewest in the NFL last year. The Lions had the most 10-plus-yard plays and third most 50-yard plays generated by their offense in 2024. They had the fourth best third-down percentage (47.6 percent).
But it's the second principle — the explosive plays — that Morton eagerly talked about when he sat down with reporters for the first time at the NFL Scouting Combine last month.
"I think you have to have explosive plays," he said. "You have to be able to do that. I think there's a certain amount of explosive plays you need in a game. An explosive, I always think seven or eight plays explosively (per game) is really good."
Morton said the offensive staff would sit down in the weeks after the Combine and, under head coach Dan Campbell's guidance, create their own scale for how they log explosive plays internally. Morton said he usually views a pass play of 16-to-17 yards or more and a run play of 10-to-12 yards or more as an explosive play.
The exciting part for Morton is the weapons he'll have to build his offense around to accomplish his goal. Detroit led the NFL in 2024 in most touchdowns of 20-plus yards with 18 followed by Philadelphia (17) and Cincinnati (15).
From a run game perspective, Jahmyr Gibbs' 41 runs of 10-plus yards was the most among NFL running backs as 16.4 percent of his runs gained at least 10-plus yards, which also topped the league. Fellow running back David Montgomery added 17 runs of 10-plus yards.
It's a run game in Detroit built uniquely on both toughness and big-play potential which puts a ton of pressure on opposing defenses. Morton said that will continue to be the focus when he and run game coordinator and offensive line coach Hank Fraley sit down and build the run plan for the 2025 season.
Morton has been a passing game coordinator in the college and NFL ranks with New Orleans and Denver and served as the offensive coordinator for the Jets in 2017. He's got a terrific mind for offensive football and particularly getting the most out of the passing game.
"He's super passionate and he works his tail off," Denver head coach Sean Payton said of Morton, who was his pass game coordinator for the Broncos last season. "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."
Campbell said Morton was instrumental in putting the original version of the offense together in Detroit in 2022 when he was on staff as a senior offensive assistant.
"He was one of the pivotal pieces of helping us put this together, this offense version for (Jared) Goff with Goff," Campbell said. "So that was big, but then also, there were so many things that during the game plan and weeks of game plan, the ideas that he had in the pass game going into weeks, getting ready for opponents was big for us. A lot of things we used, man."
Detroit has one of the top explosive passing threats in the league in fourth-year wide receiver Jameson Williams. His five touchdowns of 50-plus yards tied for the NFL lead and his 17.3 yards per reception average was second-best last season. Williams had 17 receptions of 20-plus yards last season and his average alone already fits into Morton's parameters of an explosive passing play for his offense.
View photos of a Women's History Month panel conversation at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025, in partnership with Community Financial Credit Union.
Detroit Lions Co-Director of Player Engagement Jessica Gray, Michigan Black Business Alliance CEO Charity Dean, Community Financial Credit Union CEO Tansley Stearns and City of Detroit Director of Arts + Culture Rochelle Riley speak to students during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
A student listens to speakers during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Michigan Black Business Alliance CEO Charity Dean speaks to students during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
A student listens to speakers during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions Co-Director of Player Engagement Jessica Gray, Michigan Black Business Alliance CEO Charity Dean, Community Financial Credit Union CEO Tansley Stearns and City of Detroit Director of Arts + Culture Rochelle Riley speak to students during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
A notebook given to a student during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
City of Detroit Director of Arts + Culture Rochelle Riley speaks to students during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
A student listens to speakers during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
A student showing her artwork to the panel speakers during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Community Financial Credit Union CEO Tansley Stearns speaks to students during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Community Financial Credit Union CEO Tansley Stearns speaks to students during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Students listen to speakers during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
City of Detroit Director of Arts + Culture Rochelle Riley during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Michigan Black Business Alliance CEO Charity Dean speaks to students during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Students listen to speakers during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
A student listens to speakers during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
A Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
City of Detroit Director of Arts + Culture Rochelle Riley hands out notepads to students during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
A student listens to speakers during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Students listen to speakers during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
A student listens to speakers during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
A student listens to speakers during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions Academy Principal Alean King during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Michigan Black Business Alliance CEO Charity Dean speaks to students during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
A student listens to speakers during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Michigan Black Business Alliance CEO Charity Dean speaks to students during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
A student listens to speakers during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Students listen to speakers during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Community Financial Credit Union Director of Impact Jennifer Truxell during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions Co-Director of Player Engagement Jessica Gray, Community Financial Credit Union CEO Tansley Stearns, Michigan Black Business Alliance CEO Charity Dean, City of Detroit Director of Arts + Culture Rochelle Riley and Detroit Lions Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Eric McCloud pose for a photo during a Women's History Month panel at Detroit Lions Academy on March 19, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is coming off a 115-catch campaign that saw him rack up 1,263 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. He had 72 receptions that resulted in a first down — second most in the NFL — with 14 receptions of 20-plus yards.
Tight end Sam LaPorta had the fifth highest receiving average (12.1 yards) among tight ends last season. He had 11 receptions of 20-plus yards and caught seven passes that traveled more than 20 yards in the air. He doesn't get enough credit for how strong of a downfield weapon he's become at the position.
And don't sleep on Gibbs' ability to be a big-play threat in the passing game. He added six receptions of 20-plus yards in 2024.
Goff had the second most completions of 20-plus yards last season (61) and had a passer rating of 103.0 on passes that traveled more than 21 yards in the air.
"I think Jared (Goff) is really good at that aspect," Morton said of the vertical aspect of the passing game. "When we sit down and look at this and study other teams like what are the most explosive teams in the league? Let's look at that. Why?"
Detroit's offense led the NFL in points scored, total touchdowns and point differential in 2024. A lot of the same players return, and Morton will put his own touches on an offense in Detroit that will certainly aim to make the big play a big emphasis in 2025.
