Dan Campbell Calling Plays With His Glasses Might Have Just Saved The Lions Season

The Detroit Lions delivered their best offensive performance of the season on Sunday, defeating the Washington Commanders 44–22. Detroit racked up 546 net yards of offense, its highest total since last November.

Aside from the uniforms, the Lions were almost unrecognizable from a week earlier, when they struggled to move the ball in a loss to the Vikings. Sure, it helped that Washington’s defense was depleted. But just as significantly, the Lions changed offensive play callers. As head coach Dan Campbell confirmed after the game, he took over play-calling from offensive coordinator John Morton.

"It was just, ‘Let’s try something a little different,’" Campbell told reporters. "Look, I know what I want to do. I know how I want to do it. That said, this is a collaborative effort. I was taking input from John Morton and the other coaches the whole time."

The change was palpable. For the first time in nearly a month, the Lions' offense looked rejuvenated and explosive. Under Morton, the offense had grown stale. No one expected him to replicate the creativity of Ben Johnson. Johnson is one of the best offensive play-callers in the NFL and has already turned around the Chicago Bears franchise as a first-year head coach. That said, the Lions have too much talent on offense to be as mediocre as they were with Morton calling the plays.

For one, Morton struggled to get various players involved in a single game plan. His play-calling style felt like "your turn, my turn." In just one game, Campbell found ways to get everyone who mattered involved — Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, and even Jameson Williams.

Williams caught six passes for 119 yards on Sunday,  nearly matching his combined total from the previous four games. Afterward, he joked about Campbell’s new look on the sideline. 

"It was kind of funny seeing him with the glasses," Williams said while laughing. "It was like my first or second time seeing him with glasses. A different look, for sure."

Different, but effective.

Quarterback Jared Goff was more direct in his praise. 

"Yeah, I thought Dan did a great job, I really do," Goff said. "It’s hard, especially your first time doing it in a while. It’s been a long time since he’s called plays, and I thought he did a great job — getting the plays in on time, switching up tempos, keeping us in rhythm."

It had become a running joke among Lions fans on social media that Morton only knew three plays, as if he were playing a game of Madden: HB Dive, HB Screen, and Hail Mary. His offense lacked rhythm and situational awareness. Put simply, John Morton was bad at the job. He was stubborn, trying to impose a 1995 offense on a 2025 roster, and refused to adapt when it failed. 

His hubris cost Detroit dearly in last week’s loss to Minnesota.

Of course, the Lions won’t play the Commanders every week, and defenses will eventually adjust to Campbell’s tendencies. No one is ready to crown him the next Sean McVay just yet — though giddy Lions fans might be close. 

Still, the shift has given Detroit much-needed optimism after weeks of stagnant play. Oddsmakers agree: the Lions now have the fourth-shortest Super Bowl odds at +900, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

Campbell also deserves credit for acknowledging his mistake. He hired Morton and backed him throughout the entire offseason. Ownership will surely question how Morton lasted only eight games in the driver's seat.

Ultimately, the Lions roster has holes. The offensive line, particularly the interior, is weak. The team has yet to generate a consistent pass rush beyond Aidan Hutchinson. And the defense is seemingly never without at least three missing starters.

But in a year in which the Chiefs are 5-4, the Bills just lost to the lowly Dolphins, and the Packers have losses against the Browns and Panthers – the Lions have a shot. And they have a much better shot with Dan Campbell in glasses calling the plays.