Surprise inclusion to Lions' 53-man roster immediately proves his worth in Week 1

It wasn't the prettiest of season openers, but the Detroit Lions got on the W column on Sunday. They were a two-point conversion away from a very disappointing loss, but they escaped with their first of hopefully many wins this season.

In the locker room after the game, Dan Campbell wasn't too worried about his team taking their foot off the gas and blowing a 21-point lead. He was just happy to come away with the win. In his usual locker room speech, Campbell had a game ball for three players, one each for offense, defense, and special teams.

After praising Amon-Ra St. Brown and Derrick Barnes for their performances, Campbell had a game ball for Tay Martin and told his team to "Turn on special teams and watch 17" when they get the chance.

Tay Martin proves Dan Campbell was right to put his trust in him

When Martin was included in the 53-man roster, there were plenty of surprised Lions fans. The formerly undrafted wide receiver who played for the Columbus Aviators in the United Football League earlier this year beat out higher-profile playmakers on the roster like Greg Dortch and Dominic Lovett. Since the Lions unexpectedly included only four WRs on the roster, Martin started the season as the WR4.

But his value was always going to come on special teams. In fact, Martin played zero offensive snaps on Sunday. He was, however, the most impactful special teamer on the field.

According to Pro Football Focus, Martin played the second-most special teams snaps on the team with 24 and was the highest-graded player with 84.9. He had a team-high three tackles and was a big reason why the Lions were graded as the seventh-best special teams unit of the week per PFF.

How much Campbell values special teams contributions is well-documented. When discussing some of the positional battles in training camp, he talked about how big a deciding factor special teams impact was going to be. He stood by his word and gave Martin a chance.

It's no surprise that Martin thanked Campbell for giving him a shot after receiving a game ball in the locker room.

As long as he continues to show up on special teams, Martin will get on the field. Now, he will try to see whether he can get a chance on offense. Given how little the Lions are getting from Isaac TeSlaa, perhaps that's the next step for Martin. But even if that doesn't happen, the 28-year-old WR is off to a great start, and the Lions couldn't be happier with their decision.

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