For the second time in as many home games this season, the Detroit Lions survived a fourth quarter surge from a seemingly inferior team and put a mark in the win column with a 31-24 victory over the New York Jets.
There are definitely still concerns about Kelvin Sheppard's defense, and it's hard to see any viable ways to fix it. So finding ways to win in other margins is going to be necessary on a regular basis.
Somehow, for reasons that aren't entirely clear beyond being an embodiment of the culture Dan Campbell wants, wide receiver Tom Kennedy continues to survive on the Lions' roster or practice squad year after year. If we wanted to count him, and to be fair we probably should, he'd be the longest-tenured Lions' player.
Apparently 18 career regular season receptions (four in the last two-plus seasons), and a minimal role on special teams when he has been on the active roster, does wonders to keep someone around when they're just so likeable.
So far this year, Kennedy has at least filled a noticeable role as a kickoff and punt returner for the Lions.
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Through the first two games this season, Kennedy had six kickoff returns to four for running back Jacob Saylors, with all three Lions' punt returns being Kennedy's.
Saylors, for some reason, can't get on the field even close to as much as Sione Vaki when it's time to spell Jahmyr Gibbs. So the kickoff return role is his time to shine when he gets an opportunity.
On Sunday against the Jets, Saylors had two kickoff returns for 81 yards, with a long of 44 yards. Kennedy had 23 yards on his lone kickoff return in the game. The difference in juice was noticeable. Kennedy has been thoroughly unimpressive overall as a return man through three games, including 11 yards on his one punt return against the Jets.
Kennedy is a nice story, with a far longer NFL career than most fringe roster players of his ilk end up having. But at some point the story has to be backed up by meaningful results, and he has finally received an opportunity to show something along that line this season.
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The Lions' offense hasn't needed much help in terms of being given favorable field position through three games, but that won't always be the case. Since the defense can't really provide that tilt of the field, the return game might have to.
Kennedy's reliability gives him value as a punt returner, where's is as much about catching the ball as it is about being able to do anything with. But kickoff returns, especially with the rule changes in recent years, are different.
Perhaps within the benefit of having fresh legs, since he has apparently not earned a larger role behind Gibbs, Saylors showed himself to be the better kickoff returner against the Jets.
Performance is not among the reasons Kennedy has remained a Lion for so long, if only due to lack of opportunity, but a standard has to be set for kickoff returns moving forward. Saylors should at least get more opportunities to show he is sustainably better than Kennedy in the role, and that bar should be easy to clear.
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