Handing out the game ball and unsung hero from the Lions 50-burger of the Titans
The Detroit Lions took a herculean-sized sledgehammer to the Tennessee Titans—the first win ever against the franchise since they moved from Houston—to the tune of 52-14. Not only was it the team’s most points scored of the Dan Campbell era but it was the most points scored by the Lions since Thanksgiving 1997 when they defeated the Chicago Bears 55-20 (Barry Sanders touchdown game). It was also the second time in three weeks that the Lions won by 38 points after not having a margin of victory that high since a 48-3 Week 2, 2011 win over the Chiefs.
While initially, it was a closer game than anticipated, tied at 14-14 early in the second quarter, the Lions poured it on with 38 straight points over the course of a 27:43 span in the second and third quarters.
It was a total team effort that led to a number of worthy candidates for game ball and unsung hero.
Game Ball – Kalif Raymond
Kalif Raymond’s role and demeanor are more of the unsung hero type, but for his efforts against the Titans, he was more than deserving to be tossed my post-game game ball.
Raymond perfectly encapsulates the Lions under Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes. Heart. Effort. Toughness. Selflessness. He’s got a chip on his shoulder with an against all odds, never back down, mentality.
Funny to think, after two seasons with the Titans in 2019-20, they decided not to bring back Raymond in free agency which led him to the Lions. Raymond had been on four teams, including two separate stints with both the Titans and New York Giants, prior to signing with the Lions in the 2021 offseason. The Lions handed both Breshad Perriman and Tyrell Williams one-year and $3-million-dollar contracts that offseason, and yet, Raymond is the one still left standing. He has even received very deserving contract extensions in back-to-back offseasons (2022 and 2023) to show how much he means to this team.
Raymond went out against his former team and became the first Detroit Lions player ever to score a punt return and a receiving touchdown in the same game. He did both in the same quarter to boot! Take that turd quarter.
In total, Raymond had 204 all-purpose yards including 190 punt return yards and two catches for 14 receiving yards (he was the Lions’ second-leading receiver). His 190-yard outing in the punt return game is the fifth most all-time in an individual game in NFL history.
Raymond had returns of 90, 64, 24, 10, and 2 yards. He was a major spark for the team. Raymond was a guest captain for the game and Ben Johnson even had a play designed to get him a touchdown in his revenge game. Not bad for an undersized 30-year-old former journeyman return player.
Unsung Hero: Dave Fipp
On Sunday, the Lions’ average starting field position was their own 45.9-yard line, including five possessions that started inside the Titans 26-yard line. Dave Fipp’s units deserve a lot of credit for setting the Lions offense up with a stacked deck (in addition to the four turnovers forced by the defense).
Fipp went from catching some somewhat overly-critical heat for the failed fake punt against the Vikings to being this week’s unsung hero.
During Dan Campbell’s pregame interview on 97.1 The Ticket, he spoke about how when you watch the Titans special teams, those units don’t play like a 1-5 team and how Dave Fipp was excited for the challenge. Gee whiz, did he deliver.
Raymond’s performance in the punt return game, with the Titans averaging only 17.7 net yards per punt, was a valuable part of the special team’s efforts on the day but they were providing big plays in every facet.
Lions special teams set the tone early, with Sione Vaki forcing a fumble, which was recovered by the Titans, on the very first punt. The Lions punt unit would be the most heralded of the special teams unit on any other day with their performance if it wasn’t for the prolific punt returns. Jack Fox punted five times for 305 yards, which is an astounding 61 yards per punt. Fox’s day included a long punt of 67 yards and three punts downed inside the 20-yard line. The Lions punt coverage unit averaged 56.2 net yards per punt. There was a difference of 39.1 net yards per punt between the Lions and Titans. Unbelievable advantage.
Fipp was very vocal about the NFL passing the new dynamic kickoff rule. Entering Sunday’s game the Lions were ninth in the NFL averaging 28.2 yards per kick return however they were one of only two teams in the top 10 without a 40+ yard return. That changed Sunday, when following the Titans’ second touchdown to make it 14-14, Khalil Dorsey returned the kickoff 72 yards to the Titans’ 25-yard line. It was the exact spark the team needed as they never looked back after scoring a few plays later to take the lead for good.
Per NextGenStats, the unit’s +196 return yards over expected is the most in a game since at least 2018 (previous high, +160).
As the cherry on top for the specialists, Jake Bates drilled a career-long 51-yard field goal and went a perfect seven-for-seven on extra point attempts. Bates is now 11-of-11 on field goal attempts this season.
Fipp is arguably the Lions’ most underrated coach on the staff and he and his players were very much deserving of some limelight after Sunday. Special Teams make special teams.
