DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – Jake Bates became the hero for the Detroit Lions on Sunday night as his 52-yard field goal scraped by the top left upright for the 26-23 win over Houston. The Lions scored 19 unanswered points in the second half after being down 23-7.
Bates connected on a 58-yard field goal with 5:01 left in the game to tie the score at 23 and gave the Lions the win as time expired on a 52-yard field goal. Bates, a former brick salesman who didn’t think he had a shot in the NFL after being cut by the Texas in training camp, cherished the moment from his hometown of Houston after the game.
MORE NEWS: Taco Restaurant Owner Faces $823K Penalty for Unpaid Wages and Damages
“I just don’t deserve this. I was a soccer player growing up. I idolized football players in the NFL, and just to be here is surreal. I’m still pinching myself,” said Bates.
Detroit overcame Jared Goff’s five interceptions as Houston became the first team since the 1930s to lose a game after being 15 points ahead with five or more interceptions. Goff said, “I had some unfortunate things early, but I’ve been through a whole lot worse than that. Mentally, I’ve been to the bottom. Some unlucky plays aren’t going to throw me off my game.”
The first half brought three Detroit interceptions that led to 10 points. Goff finished throwing for 240 yards and two touchdowns, with the second touchdown on a nine-yard pass to Aman-Ra St. Brown to pull within three, 23-20. Detroit’s defense came through, forcing a punt on Houston’s ensuing possession. That turned into the game-tying field goal at 5:01.
Houston drove down the field to the Detroit 40-yard line, taking three minutes off the clock. On third-and-4, C.J. Stroud’s pass was knocked away, forcing a punt. Six plays later, Bates hit the game-winning field as Detroit moved to 8-1.
“This was a hard-fought game. We had to fight our way back in there. I’m proud of the guys. There’s things we’ve got to clean up, but our guys wouldn’t go away. They just wouldn’t go away,” said Detroit’s head coach Dan Campbell.
Detroit has started 8-1 for the first time since 1954, and it is their seventh win in a row.
Leave a Comment
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.