The Detroit Lions' Offense Has a New Play-Caller, and Vic Fangio is Taking Notice.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell made the surprise move of taking over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton during last Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders. The decision came after the team's Week 9 loss to the Vikings, which saw Detroit struggle on offense, with few notable performances from its top players.
Morton had been hired by Campbell earlier this season to replace Ben Johnson, who had engineered a successful offense that had led the NFL in scoring last year. However, through eight weeks of this season, the Lions have only improved slightly, with their scoring average and yards per game ranking third and ninth respectively.
Campbell's decision was likely influenced by his team's struggles on third down efficiency, which dropped from fourth to 20th after Week 9. This decline was seen as a significant concern for the offense, but it was addressed by Campbell's new play-calling approach.
One of the key changes made by Campbell was the increased use of Jahmyr Gibbs, the team's top dual-threat running back, in the pass game. Gibbs had been running fewer routes and was being asked to block more frequently under Morton's call sheet. However, with Campbell taking over, Gibbs saw a significant increase in involvement in the offense, including 44 passing attempts against the Commanders.
Gibbs' presence on the field proved crucial for Detroit's offensive resurgence, as he finished with three touchdowns and 178 total yards on 18 touches, an average of 9.6 yards per touch. His route-run percentage also increased significantly, from 51.5 percent under Morton to 88.9 percent against the Commanders.
Another key player who benefited from Campbell's new play-calling approach was wideout James Williams. Williams had been lining up in the slot on more than 25 percent of his snaps prior to Week 10 but saw a significant decrease in those snaps with Campbell taking over. Instead, he played outside on a season-high 88 percent of his snaps and carved up the Commanders for 119 yards.
Campbell's team will likely look to continue their momentum when they take on the Eagles next week. The Lions' offense has shown that it can be potent when they're able to get Jahmyr Gibbs involved in the pass game, and James Williams aligned outside. However, the Eagles' defense, particularly their secondary, is a major concern for Detroit's offense.
With the addition of pass rusher Jaelan Phillips, the Eagles' defense has become more formidable than ever before. The Lions will need to find ways to exploit any mismatches they can in order to succeed against an opponent that they previously struggled against.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell made the surprise move of taking over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton during last Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders. The decision came after the team's Week 9 loss to the Vikings, which saw Detroit struggle on offense, with few notable performances from its top players.
Morton had been hired by Campbell earlier this season to replace Ben Johnson, who had engineered a successful offense that had led the NFL in scoring last year. However, through eight weeks of this season, the Lions have only improved slightly, with their scoring average and yards per game ranking third and ninth respectively.
Campbell's decision was likely influenced by his team's struggles on third down efficiency, which dropped from fourth to 20th after Week 9. This decline was seen as a significant concern for the offense, but it was addressed by Campbell's new play-calling approach.
One of the key changes made by Campbell was the increased use of Jahmyr Gibbs, the team's top dual-threat running back, in the pass game. Gibbs had been running fewer routes and was being asked to block more frequently under Morton's call sheet. However, with Campbell taking over, Gibbs saw a significant increase in involvement in the offense, including 44 passing attempts against the Commanders.
Gibbs' presence on the field proved crucial for Detroit's offensive resurgence, as he finished with three touchdowns and 178 total yards on 18 touches, an average of 9.6 yards per touch. His route-run percentage also increased significantly, from 51.5 percent under Morton to 88.9 percent against the Commanders.
Another key player who benefited from Campbell's new play-calling approach was wideout James Williams. Williams had been lining up in the slot on more than 25 percent of his snaps prior to Week 10 but saw a significant decrease in those snaps with Campbell taking over. Instead, he played outside on a season-high 88 percent of his snaps and carved up the Commanders for 119 yards.
Campbell's team will likely look to continue their momentum when they take on the Eagles next week. The Lions' offense has shown that it can be potent when they're able to get Jahmyr Gibbs involved in the pass game, and James Williams aligned outside. However, the Eagles' defense, particularly their secondary, is a major concern for Detroit's offense.
With the addition of pass rusher Jaelan Phillips, the Eagles' defense has become more formidable than ever before. The Lions will need to find ways to exploit any mismatches they can in order to succeed against an opponent that they previously struggled against.
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88.9% route run percentage is insane! what's next for detroit? will they be able to take on the eagles and their fancy defense 
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. I mean, Jahmyr Gibbs is sick but he ain't gonna solve all ur problems, fam! 
. Anwayz, Eagles' defense is lookin fierce w/ Jaelan Phillips on board 
. Can Lions handle the heat? 
gotta love the new direction Dan Campbell is taking with his play-calling! I'm loving the way he's getting Jahmyr Gibbs more involved in the pass game - it's like night and day difference, you can see the spark in his eyes out there 
. And James Williams, what a player! He was lit up against the Commanders, and now we just gotta hope they can replicate that against Philly... their D is looking fierce, so fingers crossed for the Lions 
and it sounds like Gibbs' increase in involvement in the pass game really paid off for them 
and from what i've seen so far, it looks pretty good 
especially with jahmyr gibbs getting more involved in the pass game, that dude can run 
. james williams is looking sharp too 
outside receiver on a season-high 88% of his snaps, that's a big boost for detroit's passing game.
they just got some new pass rusher jaelan phillips and now their secondary is looking even more formidable 
one thing's for sure, the lions are giving me some serious hope 
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I'm loving the changes Dan Campbell's made to the Lions' offense! Taking Jahmyr Gibbs out of his comfort zone and playing him more in the pass game has been a total game-changer - 44 passing attempts?! That's insane! 
and what's with jahmyr gibbs being asked to block all the time? isn't that, like, counterintuitive for a running back who's supposed to be involved in the passing game? 
️. It'll be interesting to see how the Lions adjust their strategy against the Eagles' defense next week 
. They'll need to find ways to exploit any mismatches, especially with Jaelan Phillips joining the team 
. Campbell's got some smart moves under his belt now 
. Now we just gotta figure out how to get past the Eagles' secondary... 
now we just gotta see how they stack up against eagles next week, that secondary is like a whole 'nother level 
it's crazy how he went from almost no routes to 88.9% completion rate. And Williams' numbers are insane outside vs slot - it's like Campbell knew exactly what would boost their offense 
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gotta keep an eye on how the lions match up against philadelphia next week tho 