The Detroit Lions received a plethora of big plays in a clutch 20-17 win over the New York Jets, but quite possibly the biggest early came from wideout Kalif Raymond.
Raymond, a player who has already made a difference in a big way this season as a receiver, finally hit a long-awaited home run on special teams. Receiving a low punt, Raymond took the ball down the field, juked a few defenders, hit the hole and exploded.
Though the team’s offense struggled most of the afternoon with just 20 points and 359 yards, it was Raymond’s key punt return which broke the ice early and ended up proving massive for Detroit.
Raymond off to the races!
#DETvsNYJ | 📺 CBS
Plays like this on special teams have a way of changing the game, especially in a close contest like Detroit just won. With all his work, it isn’t a stretch to say that Raymond helped win the game for his team.
As the season drags on, it’s becoming clearer that Raymond is taking on the look of an MVP for what he has been able to do. No player might see the field more than Raymond, and few deliver in a way that he does consistently. If that isn’t MVP level performance, there might not be one on the team.
If it’s obvious to the naked eye how important Raymond is, but it might be even more obvious to the coaches and teammates that Raymond takes the field with.
Dan Campbell, Jared Goff Praise Raymond’s Value
Coaches and players seem to understand how valuable Raymond is to the squad and what he can do for a team. Dan Campbell offered him perhaps the biggest complement following Detroit’s clutch win.
Campbell gave Raymond a game ball after the win, and as he said, it wasn’t just for what he did in the game, but for everything else he does as well week to week.
Game ball for Kalif Raymond today
“I just gave him a game ball. He’s our iron man. He does everything for us. Some of the injuries he’s had at receiver, he’s been there every day for every practice. He just goes,” Campbell said after the win. “He’s selfless. He’s disciplined. He’s a hard worker. Smart. Productive. Endears himself to his teammates and he’s versatile. He does everything for us, and he doesn’t bat an eye. He doesn’t whine he doesn’t complain. The job is never too hard. He just goes. You can’t have enough of those guys.”
The same could be said for quarterback Jared Goff. The quarterback needs trusted targets to survive tough games, and Raymond is becoming one of those in more ways than just one.
.@JaredGoff16 on what Kalif Raymond brings to the #Lions offense
“He’s a tremendous receiver as well as a punt returner. He understands coverage. Knows where to be and what to do and is always on time and always doing his thing,” Goff said. “Him and I have so many reps together, now he’s slid back on the depth chart a little bit but when he’s out there, it’s like any other guy I feel confident with. It means a lot to have four or five guys, now six, that we feel really good about.”
It’s clear the Lions like Raymond for all that he offers and all that he means to the franchise right now.
Raymond Showing Value to Lions
In terms of a true Swiss Army knife, there might be nobody better in the NFL than Raymond who earns none of the praise of others.
Raymond has stepped up as a dependable target for the Lion at wide receiver when he needs to be due to injury or other concern. With 401 yards on 34 catches, More than that, though, he’s bringing a game-changing element to special teams on punt and kick returns, which the Lions PR account recently pointed out.
“Lions WR Kalif Raymond is 1-of-4 NFL players to log a punt & kickoff return of 40+ yards this season. His 12.6 punt return average ranks 4th in the NFL among all players with 10+ PRs. Over the past 2 seasons, his 437 punt return yards are 4th in the NFL,” the site tweeted.
Raymond is a valuable contributor for Detroit that doesn’t get the hype of his bigger name counterparts. Arguably, he could be one of Detroit’s top offensive weapons, and even the team MVP.
His teammates agree, and after a massive play in Week 15, that might only be more of the case.
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Kalif Raymond Proves Himself Lions’ MVP With Big Plays, Gritty Mindset