Lions Jack Fox Has Not Played Up to Standards Recently

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This season, Fox's net average per punt, which Fipp expressed is more of a relevant statistic to him compared to return yards, has been down. 

Through the first nine games of the 2022 season, Fox's net punt per average is at 39.8 yards, down significantly from previous seasons. 

"I would say return yards is not a huge stat to me. We talked about this maybe a year ago. Like, we can hammer the ball 70-yards down the field, give up a 20-yard return and still have a 50-yard net and that would be a good play. But, I would say to answer your question, the net would be important to me," Fipp said. "And our net has been down. So I'm not sidestepping the question. I totally get that.

"Our net's definitely not where we want it to be. It's not up to really where I want it to be. I know Fox, too. I would say it really does start with the punter," Fipp continued. "We got to punt a little bit better. He hasn't played quite up to his standard the last couple of weeks. That being said, we haven't had a huge sample size." 

Fox has also been tasked with handling kickoff duties, which could be impacting his punting effectiveness. 

Detroit's coaching staff does not believe that the added responsibility has been the root cause of the recent punting issues. 

"People love to say that. We all want to look for one thing, the easy answer to point to," Fipp expressed. "I would say that would definitely be something easy we could point to. But personally, do I feel that way? I don't at all. I feel like he's managed that fine and I don't think it affects the way he punts the ball."