OC John Morton - Lions not 'in panic mode' after Week 1 dud - ESPN
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Leaving Lambeau Field after an 0-1 start Sunday, wasn't a pleasurable experience for new Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton.
But even after losing the opener at Green Bay 27-13, Morton said «nobody's in panic mode» inside the Lions' building.
Entering the Week 2 home contest against the Chicago Bears, Detroit will try to avoid going 0-2 for the first time since 2021, in Dan Campbell's first season as the Lions' head coach.
However, Bears head coach Ben Johnson — who spent the previous three seasons as Detroit's offensive coordinator — will be standing in the way during his much-anticipated return to Ford Field on Sept. 13.
«The bottom line is, this is about execution and the details of everything and then taking a little bit less, so guys are playing a little bit faster, so everybody knows exactly what to do,» Morton said. «But I'm encouraged, there were some encouraging things in the game, obviously, and then we move on.
»That's what we've done, great attitude by the guys, 'How do we fix this?' Because we're in the fix-it business as coaches."
Under Johnson, Detroit led the NFL with 33.2 points per game in 2024 — the second time in team history the Lions have led the league in scoring.
Against the Packers in Week 1, Detroit nearly went a full game without scoring a touchdown until 0:55 remaining in fourth quarter with a 13-yard highlight catch by rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa. The last time the Lions failed to score a touchdown in the first three quarters was Week 7, 2023 versus Baltimore, but Morton sees the mistakes as being correctable.
«Look, we're running plays that these guys have done. Now, there's some new guys in there, but the bottom line is you've got to go execute and we