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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Jeff Risdon

Lions special teams coach has ‘no problems’ with Kalif Raymond’s risky punt return decisions

During the Detroit Lions’ Week 6 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wide receiver Kalif Raymond seemingly violated one of the well-worn edicts of football. He fielded not one but two Buccaneers punts inside his own 5-yard line.

Neither return went well for Raymond. The first attempt, leading into Detroit’s first offensive possession, ended at the Detroit 10-yard line. The second saw Raymond sneak out to the 15, avoiding two tackles on the way.

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Fielding a punt inside the 10 is normally a football taboo. And the poor outcomes for Raymond in Tampa Bay demonstrate why it’s rarely done outside of emergency situations.

Yet Lions special teams coach Dave Fipp didn’t have a problem with Raymond’s decisions. “No problems with any of it,” Fipp said on Thursday.

In an entertaining but meandering press conference Q&A session that also discussed country music, fly fishing, military graduation ceremonies and dreaming of 1980s movies, Fipp did address a question about Raymond’s risky business in fielding punts inside the 10-yard line.

“There’s a risk to it, there’s a reward to it. You’re balancing out both those things,” Fipp said. “You obviously don’t want to put your team in a negative position. We do have a lot of confidence in (Raymond) Leaf back there. I think when you have a good player back there and a guy who’s confident in himself and believes he can make something happen, you don’t want to take that away from him too much either, so there’s a fine line. But I believe in everything he did back there. I’ve got no problems with any of it.”

Raymond is averaging 9.6 yards per punt return for this season after averaging 13.2 a year ago. He did have a long return of 15 yards against the Buccaneers.

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