Twentyman’s take: The Lions finished seventh overall in Rick Gosselin’s annual NFL special teams rankings. They really don’t have a weakness in any phase on special teams.
Leading the way for the Lions is third-year punter Fox, who has quickly become one of the best in the business. Fox is off to a historic start to his career. He owns the NFL’s highest gross and net punting averages through a punter’s first 25, 50, 75 and 100 punts. Since making his NFL debut in 2020, Fox has punted 124 times with a 49.2 yard average with a 43.5 yard net average and a long punt of 70 yards. He is a weapon for the Lions and could be up for a long-term contract extension here pretty soon.
Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp has done a really nice job with this unit. From kicking to punting to the coverage units and the return game, the Lions are above average in every category. A lot of that also stems from the importance head coach Dan Campbell places on special teams play, which not all coaches do. The Lions spend considerable time at practice working on special teams.
The team re-signed wide receiver Kalif Raymond this offseason. Raymond caught 46 passes last season, and he also finished fourth in the NFL with a punt-return average of 11.2 yards per return. He’s solid and reliable as a returner.
The Lions ranked seventh in the NFL in kickoff return average (24.4), with Godwin Igwebuike leading the way with a 24.9 yard average of 28 returns. Igwebuike is back with the team in 2022, and his special teams prowess might give him the edge in the final couple spots at running back.
Overall, it’s a really good special teams unit from top to bottom.
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