DETROIT — When the Detroit Lions found themselves struggling to pull away from the Cleveland Browns, the defense and special teams answered the call.
Coaches far and wide at every level talk about the need to play complementary football. And that’s what the Lions got in their 34-10 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 4 action at Ford Field.
The Browns went down the field 88 yards for a touchdown on their first drive of the game. They were lighting up Detroit’s man coverage and getting strong runs from rookie running back Quinshon Judkins. But then Detroit’s defense put the clamps down and forced two interceptions and three punts on Cleveland’s next five series to end the first half.
That showing opened the door for the offense to build a lead heading into halftime. But Detroit’s offense struggled to get anything consistent going, needing two long field goals to get its 20-7 halftime lead.
And when the offense stubbed its toe in the third quarter, letting the Browns close the gap, it was Kalif Raymond and the return unit to come up big.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw an interception on the team’s first drive of the second half, and the offense went three-and-out on the next. But then the defense forced a three-and-out, and Raymond let the offense stay on the sideline while finally extending their lead. Raymond took the punt 65 yards all the way for the touchdown, putting the Lions up by 17 points early in the fourth quarter.
Dan Campbell said he and special teams coordinator Dave Fipp told Raymond to “cut it loose” on punt returns against the Browns. And cut it loose he did.
Raymond is beloved in the team’s locker room. Campbell couldn’t say enough good things about him, and Goff said Raymond was one of the team’s “heartbeat” type of players.
MLive’s Dungeon of Doom podcast discussed the team’s win after the game in the press box. Hosts Ben Raven and Kory Woods talked about how impressed they were with Detroit’s defensive response after a tough opening drive, what Raymond means to them and more in the latest episode.
“He is someone who came here as a journeyman wide receiver, had less than 400 receiving yards to his name with four or five different teams under his belt, and he’s just made himself one of their guys,” Raven said of Raymond’s journey.
“He’s a reminder for every new player or rookie that comes here that if you buy in, you perform at a high level and you set the tone through how you work, there’s a place for you here.”
To hear more about Raymond’s game-changing touchdown and the heartwarming moment with his wife in the stands, don’t miss the latest episode of MLive’s Dungeon of Doom podcast:
