Lions WR Called Out by Vikings For 'Cheap Shot'

Vikings are not happy with veteran Detroit Lions wide receiver.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond (11) runs against Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings are not happy with a veteran Detroit Lions wide receiver.

Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel and several players on the Vikings called out Kalif Raymond this week for a block they considered dangerous and cheap.

Fellow Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson called the block on his teammate "absolute bulls---" and a "cheap shot."

According to ESPN, "On the play, Raymond lined up as an outside receiver before going in motion. At the snap, he sprinted directly toward Van Ginkel -- who was facing the other way as he was taking his first steps as a pass rusher -- and shoved him to the ground with a block to the left shoulder. Van Ginkel slid across the artificial turf at Ford Field, but when he stopped, he was at Gibbs' feet."

The veteran linebacker expressed he was not expecting to be blindsided and wondered how he was expected to protect himself.

Here is the clip of Kalif Raymond’s block on Andrew Van Ginkel. Several Vikings have expressed ire with Raymond’s block on the LB according to reports. Van Ginkel still managed to make a tackle for loss on the play. @DetroitPodcast pic.twitter.com/p32gLCNKQx

— Christian Booher (@CBooher_) November 6, 2025

"Obviously, getting hit on the side, I'm just going to pass rush," Van Ginkel said. "And all of a sudden I get whiplash because the guy blindsides me. I'm not going to go into too much detail about it, but I wasn't too pleased with it."

The Vikings defeated the Lions, 27-24, in a Week 9 contest at Ford Fied. Raymond was not penalized on the play.

"I think that it's something that the league should look at if it's something that they need to take out of the game. Because we can't be doing that," Van Ginkel said. "When you're pass rushing like that, you are not anticipating someone blindsiding from the side. I'm trying to get off the ball, get a good pass rush. I had no clue he was there. How are we supposed to protect ourselves in those cases?"

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell showed the Vikings footage of the play to demonstrate how a player can still earn a tackle for loss after a rough block.

"Obviously, we all see the intercepting a screen for a touchdown or picking off a hot throw in a cover zero, but it’s all of those little ones that he does. And then it’s just the communication, everybody’s on the same page," said O'Connell. "We had way more snaps with Andrew Van Ginkel on the field, where all 11 guys did their jobs and knew exactly what the call was. He provides so many layers of things to our defense that allow (Brian Flores) to be who he wants to be as a play-caller. Gink helps everybody else around him, not only himself, play at a high level.”