Locker room buzz: Dynamics of play-calling change, o-line answers bell, and unbothered Jameson Williams uncaged
Landover, Md. — Here’s what I learned bouncing around the Detroit Lions’ locker room following the team’s 44-22 victory over the Washington Commanders.
Play-calling swap
The story of the game was less about what happened on the field and more about who was pulling the strings.
During his postgame press conference, Dan Campbell discussed what went into the decision to take over the play-calling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton.
“It was just, let’s try something a little different, right?” Campbell said. “Look, I know what I want to do. I know how I want to do it. Now, that being said, this is a collaborative effort now. I was taking input from John Morton that whole time, and the other coaches.”
Campbell explained that it was about getting the offense into a different rhythm, and it unquestionably did.
“I think things went pretty smoothly today,” center Graham Glasgow said. “I don’t want to say anything too bad. Like, I think that it was — everybody had a good day.”
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs felt like the Lions were less predictable.
“You didn’t know what we were going to run,” Gibbs said. “He’s been here for a minute, so he knows how the offense runs.”
Detroit wound up scoring touchdowns on three consecutive drives to open the game and came away with points on all eight possessions before closing out the game by taking a knee.
Campbell made the decision to take on play-calling early in the week. He acknowledged it wasn’t an easy conversation, but praised Morton’s response to the change.
“I told him, ‘Man, I need you. I need you, but I feel like this is something that I’m going to do,’” Campbell said. “Listen, John Morton’s all team, man. That’s all he cares about. He just wants to win. He wants to be a part of it. He wants to help where he can, and he was outstanding today. He’s a grinder, he’s a worker, and he just tries to help and give you anything that you can possibly need for the game.”
Campbell said he thought about taking on play-calling when former coordinator Ben Johnson was hired away to coach the Chicago Bears. But Campbell also knew how much attention it required, having done it in the past, and he was concerned about his ability to spread his focus across the entire roster.
Regardless, in this moment, he felt it was the right choice for the team.
These bold decisions can sometimes draw resistance, but Campbell has earned the full backing of his players.
“He believes in us (and) we believe in him,” Glasgow said. “…I feel like he has a good pulse on the team or whatever it is.”
Gibbs agreed.