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Eric Woodyard, ESPN
HOUSTON — Nineteen months ago, Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates was training to be a brick salesman in Houston at the Acme Brick company and thought his NFL dream was over. On Sunday night, he celebrated a 52-yard, walk-off field goal to help the Lions overcome a 16-point deficit to beat the Texans, 26-23.
“I just don’t deserve this. I was a soccer player growing up, I idolized footba ll players in the NFL and all that stuff and just to be here is surreal,” said Bates, who spent last season with the Michigan Panthers in the UFL. “I’m still finding myself kind of pinching myself. I’m so grateful for all the doors that the Lord’s opened for me.”
Bates, a native of Tomball, Texas, also nailed a 58-yard field goal with 5:01 remaining in the fourth to tie the game at 23-23, which was the third-longest in team history.
Those clutch field goals were pivotal in Detroit’s victory on a night where Lions quarterback Jared Goff also threw a career-high five interceptions.
After helping the Lions improve to 8-1 for the first time since 1954, Bates struggled to find the words to describe the experience, but his teammates were certainly impressed.
“I was like holding on. I was just like, ‘please, please, please,'” said Lions cornerback Carlton Davis, who logged two interceptions. “Because they are a good team, and you don’t wanna give them too many chances to get back in the game and he iced the game for us. He did his job and I’m so happy for him.”
In Week 7 at Minnesota, Bates’ game-winning 44-yard field goal also led the Lions to a divisional win, and he has made all 14 field goals he’s attempted this season.
In the waning seconds at Houston, as Bates trotted onto the field at NRG Stadium with game knotted, to connect on the game-winning field goal, Goff said his first thoughts were “holy smokes.”
With the victory, Goff became the fourth QB in NFL history to throw five interceptions on the road and still go on to win the game. His five picks were also the most in a prime-time game since Drew Brees in 2012.
“I think ultimately, I never lost confidence because I felt like I was doing what I was supposed to do on most of those plays and our defense really bailed us out,” said Goff, who went 15-for-30 for 240 passing yards and two touchdowns. “They really did all day and guys stuck with me on offense and I was telling them, ‘Hey man, I’m good. Just hang in there. I’m good. I’m gonna have this thing figured out’ and they stuck with me.”
After trailing by 16 points at halftime, Detroit’s win was also marked the largest halftime deficit overcome by a team to throw 5-plus interceptions in NFL history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Goff described it a “rollercoaster of a game” as well as a “mental battle” to overcome those five turnovers, but he feels it’ll help him down the stretch.
“When you can dig in deep in those adverse situations and come out on top, it just prepares you for the next adverse situation,” Goff said. “It’s never over till it’s over. We were in a hole there and they were playing well, they were humming on defense. I kept giving them the ball over and over and we fought. We really did.” Detroit has now won seven consecutive games, with four of their last five games coming on the road. The Lions will return home to face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Nov. 17 where head coach Dan Campbell has the ultimate faith in his team and kicker to continue their winning streak.
“Look, I feel really good about our team. They haven’t done anything that would surprise me negatively,” Campbell said. “They’re exactly what I thought they would be, the fight they got in them.”
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