As the Detroit Lions are navigating losing both coordinators in the offseason, head coach Dan Campbell made an unorthodox move last week.
The fifth-year head coach called offensive plays for the first time this year during the game, taking over for offensive coordinator John Morton. As a result, the Lions scored 44 points for their second-highest total of the season.
Moving forward, it's unclear how long Campbell will continue calling plays, but for now, the Lions head coach is taking control of the offense. Here's a breakdown of why Campbell took over as Detroit's offensive play-caller.
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Why Dan Campbell is calling offensive plays?
Lions head coach Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties during Detroits' 44-22 victory over the Commanders in an attempt to change things up. Campbell didn't reveal the news before teh game, but he did acknowledge it during halftime to Fox reporter Megan Olivi.
Dan Campbell acknowledged what looks like him calling the plays, telling FOX at halftime: “It’s just a changeup, we wanted to mix things up.”
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) November 9, 2025
“Everyone is still involved,” he told FOX’s Megan Olivi. Pic.twitter.com/AG3vKroC5r
Campbell maintains that the situation is fluid, and he is not necessarily the permanent play-caller moving forward. The head coach says he will assess it as teh season goes along, as it's possible John Morton will return to play calling later.
At a press conference, Campbell reminded the media that he called plays early in Ben Johnson's tenure are offensive coordinator while Johnson got acclimated to the role.
"I just feel like it's the right thing to do right now," he said.
Dan Campbell doesn’t rule out the possibility of John Morton returning to play calling duties for the Detroit Lions 👀
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) November 10, 2025
Campbell talked about the 8-9 games where he taught Ben Johnson how to call plays before Johnson became the Lions OC. Pic.twitter.com/p6llrnIVcg
Who is Lions offensive coordinator?
Veteran offensive coach John Morton took over as the Lions offensive coordinator after Ben Johnson left to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears in the offseason. Previously, Morton has worked for a variety of NFL teams, including the Lions back in 2022.
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Who is John Morton?
Morton is a 56-year-old coach who played wide receiver in the 1990s but got his start as a coach at the end of the decade. From 1998 to 2004, he worked variety of offensive coaching roles for the then-Oakland Raiders, and has since bounced around both college and the NFL.
Morton has worked for the New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, USC and University of San Diego in his career. In 2017, he was the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets under Todd Bowles, but was fired at the end of the season.
Recently, Morton worked under Jon Gruden with the Las Vegas Raiders, then under Sean Payton with the Denver Broncos in 2023 and 2024. It was the third different time that Morton worked for Payton's staff, which is partially how he connects with Campbell, who was also a former Saints assistant.
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What happened to Ben Johnson?
After three seasons as the Lions offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson left Detroit to become the Chicago Bears head coach in the offseason. Johnson was one of the best offensive coordinators in the NFL with the Lions, but was patient until he found the head coaching job that he preferred.