With several starters sidelined, Dan Campbell has been forced to lean on players who have spent much of the year on the practice squad.

One of those players, wide receiver Kalif Raymond, is currently unavailable, opening the door for others to take on expanded roles on offense and special teams.

Veteran receiver Tom Kennedy suited up for just the second time this season in the matchup against the Dallas Cowboys—and immediately made his presence felt in the return game.

His perseverance on the practice squad and the team’s injury situation helped earn him a spot on the 53-man roster in late November.

The 29-year-old delivered in a big way, averaging 40 yards per kickoff return and receiving a game ball after Detroit’s convincing 44–30 win over the NFC East opponent.

After the game, Kennedy—one of the longest-tenured Lions—was asked what led to his success in the return role.

“Just strong blocking. All you need is one crease,” Kennedy said. “When you see it, you trust it, hit it hard, and get upfield.”

With the season on the line, Detroit will need even more under-the-radar contributors to emerge, particularly in the defensive backfield.

“Whenever you get the chance to suit up, you want to help the team win however you can,” Kennedy said. “I’m just grateful to make an impact.”

Quarterback Jared Goff echoed that sentiment, explaining how the Lions continue to play at a high level despite constant lineup changes.

“That’s what you hope for—we’re right there,” Goff told reporters. “If we take things one game at a time, anything can happen. There’s still plenty of football left, and we’re performing well. And yeah, it definitely gives us a spark and some extra motivation.”

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer also commented on Detroit’s speed and explosiveness after the game.

“They’ve got real speed. We have fast guys, too, but we didn’t tackle well,” he said. “When they got outside, they hurt us. They’re extremely explosive. Goff was excellent. We allowed too many big plays—runs from David Montgomery, a huge gain by Jameson Williams after we’d closed the gap. Those are things we’ve cleaned up recently, but didn’t tonight.”