Lesson No. 4: Kalif Raymond was no fluke
Kalif Raymond is one of the rare examples of a guy who shows out in training camp and the preseason out of nowhere and is actually legit.
A lot of people made a stink about the Titans letting Darius Jennings go, which opened the door for Raymond to be promoted to the 53-man roster. Well, I think it’s safe to say that move is paying off for Tennessee and Raymond’s strong camp and preseason were no fluke.
Raymond already had a huge 52-yard grab to his credit against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10, but he added to his legend on Sunday when he found pay dirt on a 40-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill. The play was the dagger in the Titans’ win over the Colts.
Raymond isn’t going to be a guy hauling in a ton of catches on a weekly basis, however he does provide a deep-ball threat for the Titans other than A.J. Brown. Raymond now has two catches of 40 yards or more in five games, and he seems to show up when it matters most.
Adding to that, Raymond has been superior on kick returns when compared to Jennings. The Holy Cross product is averaging 24.3 yards per return, while Jennings totaled 21.0. So, not only does Raymond get it done on returns, he’s also a better contributor as a receiver.