K Jake Bates trains game-winning and game-winning kicks to secure the Detroit Lions’ comeback

FIRST DOWN: BATES DOES IT AGAIN

Lions head coach Dan Campbell tries a lot of different situations in practice, and coincidentally, at Thursday’s practice this week, he came up with an end-of-game scenario that was similar to what played out Sunday night in Detroit’s 26-23 win after Backlog in Houston.

A pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown got the Lions to the 43-yard line at the end of Thursday’s practice and Bates eventually kicked a 60-yard field goal outside into the wind.

That’s what happened in Sunday night’s game against the Texans, as the offense tried to put Bates in a position to win late. A pass from Goff to St. Brown gave the Lions a first down at the Houston 37-yard line. The offense gained three more yards to the 34-yard line and cut the clock to four seconds when Bates hit a 52-yarder for the game-winner.

Bates managed to outpace the Lions team as they extended their winning streak to seven games and remained atop the NFC with an 8-1 record.

“I’ve never been lifted up like that,” Bates said in the locker room after the game as his teammates carried him around on their shoulders. “It was pretty cool to see the sideline hugging me and that was a cool moment.”

Bates has been a great story this year, from brick salesman 18 months ago to the Lions’ two-time hero with two walk-off field goals. Sunday night’s winning goal allowed him to shoot a perfect 14 of 14 goals this season.

“I just don’t deserve this,” Bates said. “Growing up, I was a soccer player. I idolized NFL football players. Just being here is surreal. I still find myself pinching myself.”

Bates also hit a career-tying 58-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter to tie the game.

“That was the first thing I thought of when I looked at him … and it just made me feel good,” Campbell said, reflecting on Thursday’s practice before sending Bates out Sunday night. “I just had a feeling he was going to make it, and he did. He went for it and did it.”