Kalif Raymond steps up for Tennessee Titans

Before the Tennessee Titans’ matchup against the Vikings, I said that a Titans receiver needs to step up, and Kalif Raymond was that receiver.

The Tennessee Titans were without their star receiver, A.J. Brown, in their win against the Minnesota Vikings. Before the game, I said that a Titans receiver is going to have to step up again in Brown’s absence.

Kalif Raymond was the guy to step up for the Titans this week as he had 118 receiving yards on three catches in the Titans’ win. In the Titans’ first two games of the season, Raymond had zero receptions, so he went all out on his three receptions this week.

He had two big catches that both led to points for the Titans. He had a 44-yard reception that led to a field goal on the Titans’ opening drive and a 61-yard reception that set the Titans up for a touchdown.

Raymond had a breakout game, and it was much needed for the sake of his career. He opted to take the humble route after the game and gave credit to the offensive line for his success on Sunday.

"“I’m hoping I can do something for the offense every time I’m out there. The biggest part of getting open deep is getting the time, so a big credit goes to the offensive line,” Raymond said."

Raymond’s breakout performance wasn’t all offensive line, though. He still had to run the route, beat the defender, and make the catch. Pro Football Focus recognized that and gave him a high grade, the highest on the Titans offense, of 91.8.

The Titans are going to need players to continue to step up while Brown is absent with his injury. Each week, it’s been a different receiver for the Titans. With tougher games coming up, the Titans might need more than one receiver to step up per game if they want to continue to their win streak.