Jake Bates made Detroit Lions history in the team’s Week 10 comeback win in Houston. Bates became the first kicker — on a franchise with a rich history of great kickers — to make two field goals of at least 50 yards in the fourth quarter of the same game. The second of those came from 52 yards as time expired and provided the winning margin.
His late-game heroics in the 26-23 win over the Texans earned Bates the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honor. It’s the second of his career, after nailing a 44-yard game-winner against the Vikings in Minnesota.
Bates joins return specialist Kalif Raymond in winning the NFC Special Teams honor in the last month. Raymond picked up the honors in Detroit’s win over Tennessee.