Before practice at the Detroit Lions’ training facility on Thursday, Sept. 25, special teams coordinator Dave Fipp wouldn’t commit to a specific replacement for Sione Vaki, who suffered a groin injury against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, Sept. 22.
Not only did receiver Kalif Raymond step into the kick returner role on Sunday in a 34-10 win over the Cleveland Browns, he just about stepped out of his shoes on a 30-yard kick return in the first quarter, tripped up by safety Rayshawn Jenkins before he could break it for a touchdown.
“I’ve gotta get my feet,” said Raymond, who played a huge role for the Lions on special teams on Sunday.
“It’s just cool to have something to put on film, because these guys are blocking crazy. So we just need one to pop and eventually, hopefully, they come in bunches.”
The one that popped came on a play that Raymond is more familiar with.
Early in the fourth quarter, Raymond received a Browns punt at the Lions’ 35-yard line, made Browns defender Dylan Sampson miss a tackle and then followed his blockers all the way into the end zone.
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: Return punt for TD ✅
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: Give ball to wife ✅Kalif Raymond 🏠#CLEvsDET 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/ynPUaPdfRf
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 28, 2025
“As I’m cutting, I looked (downfield) and everything’s blocked up,” Raymond said. “All I had to do was run fast.”
Raymond was the star, but certainly not the only impact player, on a special teams unit that was responsible for 16 of the Lions 34 points on Sunday. Raymond got six of those, but the other 10 came off the foot of kicker Jake Bates, who nailed a knuckleball 58-yard field goal towards the end of the first half that just made it through and gave the Lions a 20-7 lead.
“Yeah, I think I might’ve gotten a little lucky,” said Bates. “I wish I hit it a little cleaner, but bottom line is it went in.”
Jake Bates GOOD from 58 yds! ✅🎯
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/q8Wvdwnabw
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 28, 2025
Bates, who hit a 48-yarder earlier in the second quarter to give the Lions their first lead of the game, credits the preparation the unit does with Fipp for their early-season success.
“I know there’s going to be a great snap and a great hold, so it really is just me doing my job, taking care of my one-eleventh out there,” he said.
Running back Jacob Saylors, who ran back two kicks for 51 total yards on Sunday, said that the special teams unit plays a huge part in the Lions’ success.
“Not every team around the league values special teams like Coach (Dan) Campbell. So anytime we’re able to have that significant of an impact is huge. It helps out the offense, helps out the defense, and it helps us show the team, show the head coach that we can carry our weight,” he said.
The one who lifted the most weight on Sunday, however, was Raymond.
Team captain Grant Stuard, who is playing a big role on special teams in his first year with the Lions, said the unit got motivated by Raymond’s play early in the game and wanted to see him pull off a big return.
“There were a couple of plays where Kalif took some big hits on the punt return,” he said. “Before that (touchdown), we gathered, like ‘Hey, everybody block your man, because we owe (Raymond) one because of how he’s been hitting it.'”
Both Saylors and Stuard say that Raymond brings a lot of insight into the special teams unit, and that his leadership motivates them to put their full effort into the punt return.
“We know who we have back there,” said Stuard. “We know that if we strain and we do what we’re supposed to do, he’s a guy that’s going to hit it fearlessly.”
Raymond’s efforts don’t go unnoticed by players on other units, as well.
“He’s amazing, he’s one of those heartbeat guys for us,” said Lions quarterback Jared Goff. “It’s fun seeing him succeed like that and have those moments, but it’s not surprising at all.”
Perhaps the biggest compliment for Raymond came from receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
“He deserves it the most the way he works every day,” St. Brown said. “There’s no one I’d rather see score on this team than Kalif Raymond.”
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions outscore Browns with just special teams in Week 4
